YOUNGSTOWN A First Night invite to Warren

The event will include clowns, magicians, music and fireworks for children.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- For those who are going through First Night withdrawal because Warren canceled its annual event, organizers of First Night Youngstown are urging them to come to their downtown New Year's Eve.
"We definitely invite people from Warren to come to downtown Youngstown to celebrate First Night," said Bob Barko Jr., the event's coordinator.
First Night events, which are held nationally, are alcohol-free and geared for families. Canfield also holds a First Night celebration.
The annual event in Warren, which lasted 15 years, will not be held this year. It attracted about 3,000 attendees annually.
The Youngstown event had about 2,200 people in attendance last year, Barko said. It starts this year at 6 p.m.
Between the end of the Warren event and a new deal with Giant Eagle, Barko is optimistic that the upcoming First Night will attract the largest audience in its four-year history.
Beginning Nov. 30, Giant Eagle will sell First Night Youngstown buttons at its Mahoning and Trumbull counties locations. The buttons are on sale at the First Night office in the Wick Building and at the mayor's office.
Event coordinators have restructured the cost of tickets to make the celebration more family friendly, Barko said.
Event details
The cost for adults remains $8 each, and the cost for seniors stays at $5. The cost is $5 for students between the age of 13 and those in college. Those 12 years of age and under are free.
Last year, those who were under 6 were free, and it was $5 for those between the ages of 6 and 12.
Those who buy their buttons at Giant Eagle will get $1 off the cost off each by showing their Giant Eagle Advantage Card.
Also, there will be a focus on children's activities at this year's First Night, including clowns, magicians, woodcarvers, storytellers, a battle of the bands, and a 9 p.m. children's fireworks display for youngsters who can't make it to midnight.
For those who can stay up, the event will close with a midnight fireworks display.
In all, there will be 100 acts at more than 20 venues including the Edsels singing at the Edward W. Powers Auditorium at 10 p.m.
First Night is seeking donations, particularly from corporations and foundations, to pay for the event. It costs about $25,000 to put on First Night and another $10,000 to operate the agency during the rest of the year.
Youngstown Thermal contributed $7,500 toward the event Wednesday.
The city, which gave $15,000 toward the event during its first two years, will provide in-kind services this year as it did in 2002.
Those services include the use of police, firefighters, and street and park department workers, said Bill Carnie, president of the Youngstown First Night board of trustees.