From Deseret News archives:
First Night: Salt Lake City's festivities start in midafternoon
They made contact with Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas two months before the hurricanes ripped through the band's home state of Louisiana.
So, having the band play this year's First Night Salt Lake City takes on a deeper meaning.
"It was so strange how this all happened," said First Night artistic director Brad Baird during an interview at the Deseret Morning News offices. "We just wanted to bring some zydeco back to Salt Lake City. Then things with the weather got ugly."
Luckily, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas were on tour when the storms took out their cities. So none of them was injured.
"We are lucky to have them as our headliners," said events director Tracy von Harten during the same interview. "I love their music."
This year, the festivities will begin a couple of hours early. "It's a Saturday and a lot of people aren't going to be at work, so we're going to begin during the afternoon," said Baird.
The First Night Family Festival starts at 3 p.m. at The Gateway. It will go until 6 p.m. "It's designed for families who have young children who have a hard time staying up until midnight," said von Harten.
The festival will feature hands-on crafts including party hats, noise makers and flags.
"The kids will be able to make these things and use them during their twilight parade that will begin at the Union Pacific Depot and end at the First Night main stage near the corner of West Temple and 100 South," said von Harten. "We will have a fireworks show for the children and their families at 6:30 p.m."
Fireworks for the older crowd and those who can stay up late will happen at the usual midnight mark, said Baird.
"We're shooting them off at the Crossroads parking lot," said Baird. "It will be perfect because we're closing down West Temple."
"The concentration of most of the events will take place between 100 and 200 South on West Temple," said von Harten. "It just seemed logical to do it that way, and it will give people an area that will be close by the Salt Palace and Abravanel Hall."
While the Salt Palace and Abravanel Hall will feature many First Night activities, other venues such as the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints buildings, will also host First Night performances.
Note: First Night buttons are needed for admission to all the venues except the LDS Church venues. For more information on the church programs, log on to www.lds.org.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com
