Entertainment schedule firms up for First Night on New Year's Eve

Photo by Saul Young

Troy Suggs walks in the parade at Market Square during last year’s First Night celebration. Suggs is wearing a firecracker backpack made entirely of balloons.

The third annual First Night Knoxville celebrates the end of 2009 and the start of 2010 with entertainment, children's activities and the traditional countdown from the old to the new.

First Night Knoxville is a family-friendly, alcohol-free event in downtown Knoxville. The event produced by the nonprofit Market Square Districts Association drew more than 10,000 people last year. Organizers hope that number doubles this year.

Thirteen locations with 15 venues provide entertainment, including belly dancing, music and theater. A children's festival starts at 3 p.m.; most nighttime entertainment begins at 7. "We've got circus performers, we've got theater, we've got comedy, and we've got a lot of music," said actress and businesswoman Amy Leigh Hubbard who helped schedule First Night entertainment.

Outdoor entertainment on Market Square, including the midnight countdown, ball drop and fireworks, is free. The band Aftah Party plays at Market Square at 9 p.m.; Phil Pollard and the Band of Humans at 10:15. Other outdoor events include children's rides and a dance with fire by Shadhaver Bellydance. Sculptor Preston Farabow will build an outdoor sculpture.

Admission buttons, good for entry to all indoor events, are $10 in advance, $15 the day of the event. Children ages 6 and younger don't need buttons.

Children at the kid-focused festival at the Tennessee Theatre can make New Year's party hats and learn circus skills from Old World Circus. Children's entertainment on the theater stage begins at 4:15 p.m. with the Bonilla Family Puppets. Dr. Bill Snyder will play the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, and singer Sean McCullough performs before children march to Market Square for the 7 p.m. First Night kickoff. Then it's back to the Tennessee Theatre for an early New Year's countdown for children. Singer-songwriter Jason Ringenberg will lead the celebration as his family music character Farmer Jason.

Ringenberg, who went solo in 1999 after a career with the punk-rock-country band Jason and the Scorchers, performs at 10:15 p.m. at the Knoxville Visitors Center. Nashville singer/songwriter Julie Lee and Knoxville Americana band the Lonetones also perform at the Gay Street center.

Swing is the theme at The Square Room, 4 Market Square. Sara Schwabe and Her Yankee Jass Band perform at 7 p.m.; Blair Crimmins and the Hookers at 8:15. The Tennessee Theatre is the spot for a 10 p.m. performance by the Greensboro, N.C.-based, six-piece ensemble Holy Ghost Tent Revival. The atrium of the Miller's Building, 445 S. Gay St., hosts the First Presbyterian Church handbell choir, cellist Kathleen Bowman, experimental jazz fusion group Akashic Mysteries and Knoxville Opera studio artists.

The gym of the YWCA, 420 Clinch Ave., takes an international theme with Cuban and Latino dance, the SalsaKnox Dance Company, and drummer/keyboard/percussion performer Quincy Yeates. East Tennessee's The Naughty Knots - Sarah Pirkle, Trisha Gene Brady and Griffin Cavendar - perform at 7:15 and 8:15 p.m at the YWCA lounge. They'll be followed by Nashville-based singer Rachel Pearl at 9:15 and Sara Schwabe at 10:15.

Circus performers and aerial arts perform at the Arnstein Building, 505 Market St. Shadhaver Bellydance is at 7:15, Knoxville-based One World Circus at 7:45. Dancers of Aerial Arts will climb and twirl on 20-yard fabric strips. Asheville, N.C., Runaway Circus and the Loose Caboose entertain with acrobatics, clowning and music. Puppets, improvisation and theater are at the TVA Towers. Performers include puppeteer/ventriloquist Gene Cordova, Knoxville improvisational troupe Einstein Simplified, the Children's Theatre of Knoxville, the Carpetbag Theatre, and Maryville-based The Water Series.

FIRST NIGHT KNOXVILLE DEC. 31 EVENTS

For more information and a complete schedule, visit

www.firstnightknoxville.com.

CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL, TENNESSEE THEATRE,

604 S. GAY ST.

■ 3 p.m. Arts, crafts, circus training

■ 4:15 p.m. Bonilla Family Puppets

■ 5:30 p.m. Mighty Wurlitzer with Dr. Bill Snyder

■ 6 p.m. Sean McCullough

■ 6:45 p.m. Processional to Market Square for 7 p.m.

First Night kickoff

■ 7:30 p.m. Mighty Wurlitzer at Tennessee Theatre

■ 8-9 p.m. Farmer Jason, kid’s countdown

MARKET SQUARE STAGE

■ 9 p.m. Aftah Party

■ 10:45 p.m. Phil Pollard & the Band of Humans

■ Midnight New Year’s countdown/ball drop

THE SQUARE ROOM, 4 MARKET SQUARE

■ 7 p.m. Sara Schwabe & Her Yankee Jass Band

■ 8:15 p.m. Blair Crimmins & the Hookers

TENNESSEE THEATRE, 604 S. GAY ST.

■ 10 p.m. Holy Ghost Tent Revival

KNOXVILLE VISITORS CENTER, 301 S. GAY ST.

■ 7:15 p.m. Julie Lee

■ 8:45 p.m. The Lonetones

■ 10:15 p.m. Jason Ringenberg

YWCA GYM, 420 W. CLINCH AVE.

■ 7 p.m. SalsaKnox

■ 8 p.m. Quincy Yeates

■ 9 p.m. Lucia’s Arte Y Pasiõn Flamenca

■ 9:45 p.m. Capoeira Fundo da Mata

■ 10:30 p.m. Matias-Rocha y Nueva Trova

MILLER’S ATRIUM, 445 S. GAY ST.

■ 7 p.m. First Presbyterian Handbell Choir

■ 8:15 p.m. Cellist Kathleen Bowman

■ 9:15 p.m. Akashic Mysteries

■ 10:30 p.m. Knoxville Opera Studio Artists

FARRAGUT BUILDING, 530 S. GAY ST.

■ 7-11:15 pm. Visual Art & Ambient Music

ARNSTEIN BUILDING, 505 MARKET ST.

■ 7:15 & 10:30 p.m. Shadhavar Bellydance

■ 7:45 p.m. One World Circus

■ 8:15 & 10 p.m. Aerial Arts

■ 8:45 & 11 p.m. Runaway Circus

TVA AUDITORIUM,

400 W. SUMMIT HILL DRIVE

■ 7 & 8 p.m. Ventriloquist Gene Cordova

■ 9 &10:15 p.m. Einstein Simplified

TVA ROOM 2, W. SUMMIT HILL DRIVE

■ 7:30 p.m. Children’s Theatre of Knoxville

■ 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. The Water Series

■ 9:30 p.m. Carpetbag Theatre

YWCA LOUNGE, 420 W. CLINCH AVE.

■ 7:15 & 8:15 p.m. The Naughty Knots

■ 9:15 p.m. Rachel Pearl

■ 10:15 p.m. Sara Schwabe

EAST TENNESSEE HISTORY CENTER,

601 S. GAY ST.

■ 8 p.m. Old City Buskers

Amy McRary may be reached at 865-342-6437.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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