CELEBRATION First Night coincides with New Year's Eve

The Salem event may share acts with Canfield's New Year's event.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- Salem plans to have its first First Night celebration this New Year's Eve.
The event is a family-oriented, nonalcoholic community celebration of the arts, says David Schwartz, the president of Salem Renaissance, which is trying to promote the arts in the city and the First Night.
Events will be scheduled so adults and children can enjoy events early, and children can be left at a supervised location so that parents can enjoy watching the ball drop to welcome the new year.
Schwartz said he became interested in the idea last year after two people mentioned the possibility of a New Year's Eve celebration.
One man said it would be nice to watch a countdown ball drop at what is now KeyBank at East State Street and Broadway Avenue, Schwartz recalled.
Planning began last October, too close to the holiday to organize a celebration.
Becoming official
Salem is the fifth city in Ohio to become an official participant in First Night activities. The others are Columbus, Akron, Youngstown and Canfield. Other communities have the same type of event without paying to use the "First Night" name. Boston had the first First Night celebration more than 20 years ago.
Schwartz said he is working with the Youngstown and Canfield events, which may cooperatively promote their events.
Canfield and Salem may also share entertainment acts that night.
The tentative cost for Salem's event is $35,000. Schwartz said that when it comes to entertainment, "None of this is free."
The Salem Community Foundation has pledged up to $3,000 to get the project rolling, Schwartz said.
Salem Renaissance doesn't have the resources to finance the event, so the foundation has agreed to act as a conduit for donations, Schwartz said.
Locations and activities
The Salem Community Center has agreed to greatly reduce its rental rate on First Night, and the staff has agreed to work for free that evening. The center and Salem High School will be two venues for activities, and the Memorial Building will be the center for youth activities, Schwartz said.
During the event, a procession will move from the high school south to the middle school near downtown for an ecumenical worship service.
Several churches will have dinners and host music. Tentative plans call for First Presbyterian Church to have classical music, First United Methodist Church to have country-style music and Emmanuel Lutheran Church to have gospel music.
Schwartz hopes school districts in the 44460 ZIP code, which includes portions of the West Branch, United, Leetonia and South Range districts, as well as Salem, will take part in art contests. Youths may design a logo for the event or express what New Year's Eve means to them.
Brian Amos of Amos Communications Inc. in Beloit has designed the logo being used by the group. It features the clock at KeyBank with the hands approaching midnight.
Schwartz said the event is to be affordable. People will buy badges that allow them entry into events. The cost will be $5 for students and seniors, $8 for adults and $20 for a family.
wilkinson@vindy.com