Every year, on New Year’s Eve, Tacoma hosts a party. Downtown Tacoma is closed to traffic along Broadway Street, and vendors, exhibits, and events are available for all- for the cover charge of a $10 button. Many people don’t know about First Night at all. The festival is self-described as a “family-friendly and arts-centered” event. The highlight of any First Night celebration is the parade- holding the record for shortest both in distance and time.

This year’s parade kicked off the evening at 6:15- a full 45 minutes after the original starting time, in true First Night fashion. The parade included dancers wearing jingling bells around their hips, ringing them enthusiastically to help them stay warm.. There were giant puppets of dragons, tigers, rabbits, and lots of horses (2014 is the year of the horse). A jazz band played a wonky tune. A gondola and carriage, created for the Burning Man festival outside of Las Vegas, were driven through the streets. In the gondola sat an opera singer piercing the night with a rendition of the cry of the Valkyries. You could certainly hear the parade coming. The carriage had a steampunk look, and carried the most memorable part of the parade, a chimney of sorts that belched fire into the night sky. As the train got moving, the fire bursts marked time with the marching jazz band in front of them. To lead this motley crew, there was a giant white horse lit from the inside with color changing LEDs. This horse was eco-friendly- powered by the two-person bicycle it was built over.

The 2015 First Night celebration is already in planning. 2015 is the year of the sheep, so maybe we’ll see a giant LED-lit sheep on top of a bicycle! The only way to find out will be to go and see.