2016 First Night St Petersburg , presented by the Tampa Bay Rowdies, is Florida's largest First Night celebration. Ring in the New Year in a BIG way celebrating the 23rd Anniversary of this citywide, family-friendly, New Year's Eve celebration in Downtown St. Petersburg this Thursday, December 31st.
First Night is supported almost entirely by private funds and hard-working volunteers, your participation is easy! Buy a Button! Each year a local artist designs a limited edition lighted button, this button gives you access to everything 2016 First Night St. Pete has to offer from 4 pm to midnight!
Your purchase of a Button ensures the tradition will continue for years to come. Buy early to assure you get one of the lighted buttons, hand stamps are used after the artist Buttons are gone!
The mission of First Night is to broaden and deepen the public’s appreciation for visual, performing and literary art through an innovative, diverse, high quality program on New Year’s Eve. Here's what this fantastic group has lined up for you this year as St. Petersburg celebrates it's 23rd First Night anniversary:
Multiple venues for 2016 First Night St. Petersburg include:
- First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, Sanctuary and Chapel @ 212 3rd Street N
- The Studio@620 @ 620 1st Ave. S.
- Christ United Methodist Church @ 467 1st ave. N.
- The St. Petersburg Greenhouse @ 440 2nd Ave. N
- Mirror Lake Community Library @ 280 5th St. N
- St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club @ 559 Mirror Lake Drive
- Sunshine Center Auditorium @ 330 5th N
- Cathedral of St. Peter @ 140 4th Street North
- Williams Park 2nd Ave. N between 3rd & 4th Streets
- Plaza Courtyard @ 111 2nd Ave. NE
- South Straub Park Beach Drive NE between 1st and 2nd Ave.
- North Straub Park Beach Drive NE between 4th and 5th Ave.
- Museum of Fine Arts @ 255 Beach Dr. NE
- St. Petersburg Museum of History @ 335 2nd Ave. NE
- Spa Beach Park Dance Stage @ 400 2nd Ave. NE
A First Night App, brought you with help from the AARP Life Re-imagined Program, will have information and interactive maps to help you navigate the event this year!
The '727' on Entry Buttons (tickets) for 2016 First Night St. Petersburg:
- Old Northeast Rally 2131 4th St. N
- Treasure Island, Rally 10801 Gulf Blvd.–Treasure Island
- Seminole Citgo, 5401 Seminole Blvd.–Seminole
- Kahwa Expresso Bar NE 475 2nd Street North
- Kahwa Cafe 204 2nd Avenue South
- Kahwa Henderson 3928 Henderson Blvd–Tampa
- Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE
- Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Downtown 300 4th St. N
- ARTicles, 1445 Central Ave.
- St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce 100 2nd Ave N #150
- Morean Arts Center , 719 Central Ave.
- Florida CraftArt, 501 Central Ave.
Advance Price Buttons are:
$10 adults
$5 children 6-12
Children 5 and under are free
Event Date Buttons are:
$15 adults
$10 children 6-12
Children 5 and under are free
If you purchase your buttons online after Dec. 25th, bring your printed receipt to the First Night Information Booth at the corner of Beach Drive and 2nd Ave. NE. to redeem it for your button.
Buttons are available on New Years Eve at all venues where First Night Performers and/or Activities are scheduled and at the main information booth on the South End of the Museum of Fine Arts, at the corner of Beach Drive and Second Avenue NE. Day of Button sales begin at 2 pm on Dec. 31st.
Your In at 2016 First Night St.Pete, What Now?
Participants at First Night can walk the avenues checking out more than 100 restaurants and bars open that night or take the St. Petersburg Trolley along Second Ave NE to travel between the Shuffleboard Club and Waterfront Parks. You need a button or hand stamp to ride.
Festivities begin with FirstKids from 4-7 pm at the First United Methodist Church making hats and masks, the Second Time Arounders Musical Petting Zoo and Giant Puppets, created by Morean Center's summer camp kids, will be on site. St Pete Makers are hosting an LED light making station to teach First Nighters how to add LED lighting to their New Year’s Eve creations! Mad Science will host Super Science and more. FirstKids finishes with a parade to the waterfront at 7:15 pm led by the Mount Zion Drumline and Color Guard for the big Bubble Stomp and First Fireworks for kids at 8 pm.
First Night Performances, Music and Sights not to be missed!
At Christ Methodist Methodist Church catch performances by Shana Banana and Chorus Angelorum.
Mirror Lake Community Library is hosting a Literary Carnival in celebration of their centennial year. The library will feature games, crafts, giveaways, exhibits, presentations, performers and more. Join their birthday bash with the launch of 500 lighted boats on Mirror Lake.
Early musical Stages will feature Rockabilly, Jazz, Opera, Chamber Music, Rock, Irish Music, Reggae, Folk Music, Flamenco and Turkish Music complete with belly dancers. Later Bluegrass Southern Rock, and the Jam-band sounds of Boxcar Hollow will ring in the New Year.
The Jazz stage will feature local celebrity Belinda Womack singing Gospel with a 15 person choir followed by two sets of Jazz. The PCCA Jazz Band will be at the First United Methodist Church. The Cathedral Church of St. Peter Sanctuary is where you can enjoy Opera and Chamber music. Reggae music by Freelow is at the Shuffleboard Club where you can play shuffle board! The St. Petersburg Museum of History will host the Celtic band Empty Hats as OfficeConcerts.com offers the acoustic sounds of Jun Bustamante, Sam Pacetti and Brooke Ramel at The Greenhouse.
On the Dance Stage in Williams Park, Dundu Dole and the Florida West Ballet and Truth Tap Company perform as you dance and play in an interactive dancing light installation at the Band Shell.
Want to learn the Cha-Cha, Rumba, Samba, or Paso Doble and dance like a star? Latin Dancing lessons will happen in front of the Museum of Fine Arts while Swing Dance lessons and Rockabilly with the Hot Rod Hornets happen in the Plaza Courtyard.
The Museum of Fine Arts is presenting: Curiosity: An Art Installation and American Stage Improv will be doing Improvisational Comedy at the Sunshine Center Auditorium. The Radio Theater Project will be staging and recording plays with members of the audience as the cast.
You can kick a soccer ball with The Rowdies at Waterfront park and bring a team to compete in a human foosball game! Pathfinder leads Tree Climbing in the Banyan Tree, you want to sign up early for this one as it sells out fast!
New Year’s Resolutions can be made at the Friends Labyrinth and Resolution Bonfire. Ice Skating will be at the Glice Skating Rink and you can bang a drum as part of Drum Magic's drum circle this year when you bring your drum!
Enjoy projection fun with short films in the Movies in the Park tent, courtesy of the St. Pete Preservation Society.
Kids Fireworks happen at 8pm followed by First Night's Huge Firework's Finale at Midnight!
Food is available for purchase in Williams, North and South Straub Parks and from restaurants open along the streets as you stroll enjoying the sights, sounds, portrait artists, street performers, temporary tattoos artists and more as First Night St. Petersburg Celebrates it's 23rd Anniversary in 2016!
