First Night Montclair 2005

This Friday, the town of Montclair, New Jersey, has its annual First Night New Year's Eve celebration with performances from various musical and dance ensembles. This will also be the first time since the New's Ear Eve, 2000, celebration - i.e., the first time since September 11, 2001 - that it will be held in various locations in the center of town, rather than everything being located at the high school. I'm sorry, but I don't think the high school First Nights were particularly any safer or any more convenient than the ones held downtown and besides, the high school shindigs felt as warm and inviting as a Folsom Prison talent show! Sure, the downtown celebration will be spread out, requiring more walking between sites, but a little walking never hurt anyone - not even us autocentric Americans! :-p (There is such a thing a spreading things too far out, though; some events will be held so far apart from each other, a shuttle bus will be in service for the night, and spreading venues too far out in the towns of western Essex County, where I live [because separate towns all wanted a piece of the action], doomed First Night West Essex after two seasons.)

Oh yes, one other thing - the acclaimed Big Apple Circus is putting on performances in Montclair this year. So if you're in the area, and you've always wanted to run away and join the circus, here's your chance. After the lousy year I've had, I just might do that.