First Night Bradford 2007 will be filled with firsts for the
event as well as traditional favorites, enticing families to “Share
the Night, Ignite the Spirit” when bringing in the new year.
Darla Oaks, chairperson for the First Night Bradford 2007
committee, said they’re very excited about First Night.
“People can expect a lot of great family entertainment,” Oaks
said Thursday afternoon. “There’s a lot of new things this year. We
always try to change things up to keep things different. Since New
Year’s Eve falls on Sunday this year, we can start earlier in the
day and run throughout the day.
“This year, we have Drew the Dramatic Fool. I’ve been trying to
get him to come for the last four years. Finally, at the end of
last year, I just told him to book us for next year. He does
juggling. He balances on a ball with a bucket on his foot. He saws
himself in half. Of course, there’s audience participation as
always. Just a lot of neat things.”
Also new this year is balloonist/comedian Jon Georgino, who
makes whole people out of balloons and does some magic, and
bagpiper Christopher Piaggi.
“There’s also Professor Gizmo, who does a fun and science show,”
Oaks said. “We also wanted to get him for quite some time. He’s a
costume character with puppets and does science … and scientific
stunts.”
Oaks also said they brought in quite a few locals to perform
during the night as well.
“We brought in Mike Miller’s karate,” Oaks said. “They will do a
couple of demonstrations – 45-minute shows. There’s (vocalist)
Marissa Buchheit, a ninth-grade student in Bradford, who we’ve been
working with the past few years. She has her own venue this year.
And Mary Bean, the Fretzican Idol winner, will have her own venue
this year.”
Oaks also said vocalist Rhonda Gray, who is also the
entertainment chairperson for the First Night committee this year,
will be performing a tribute to Martina McBride.
Oaks said there will also be a lot of the traditional things.
Other events she mentioned that will be returning this year are the
inflatable children’s carnival at the YMCA, karaoke with McRay
Music and Sound and country bands, including old-time country band
The Hobos.
In addition, there will be the same First Night firsts including
the first swim at the YMCA, a free game of bowling at Byllye Lanes,
free ice skating at Callahan Park and two new firsts.
“There will be a showing at the Main Street Movie House of
‘E.T.’ at 10 a.m., free with a button,” Oaks said. “And the Tuna
Valley Trail Association will meet at the (University of Pittsburgh
at Bradford) trailhead, and I think Mick McMillan will lead a
nature walk.”
Again this year, the replica of the gazebo in Veterans Square
will be dropped at midnight followed with fireworks by Zambelli
Fireworks International. Oaks said there will be several singers,
including the First Night Third Grade Chorus, directed by Becky
Schultz, and vocalist Kayla Lyonns. Guitarist Mike Bishop will play
the National Anthem, a la Jimi Hendrix.
Other acts throughout the night will include Bwana Jim’s
Wildlife Show, magician Doc Swan, Celtic band Fieldstone, Big Band
musicians The John Kytic Quartet, vocal trio Painted Black,
guitarist Ken Stroupe, vocalist Leah Costik, the Scanlan Irish
Stepdancers and The Toe Heel Twisters dancers.
For the second year in a row, a teenage high school student is
setting up the teen bands for the night, which will include the
bands Fantasm, Until Day Break, Ffats and BBBB. Oaks said the
Bradford High School Band Boosters will be doing concessions at the
bands’ performances.
Oaks said there will be concessions at most of the venues as
well as concessions done by the Bradford Area Senior Center, the
Corydon Fire Hall, the Grace Lutheran Church, the Hill Memorial
United Methodist Church and the Bradford Family YMCA. JD Novelties
and the Main Street Mercantile will be open and selling coffee and
hot chocolate, and the Open Arms Community Church will be serving
free coffee in Veterans Square.
“We did add this year the Bradford High Leo and Key Club,” Oaks
said. “They will be selling pizza and nachos and cotton candy,
which they will be going up and down the street selling it. That’s
the first time we’ve allowed anyone to do that.”
Oaks said all the venues, menus at each of the concessions and
who’s doing the concession will be listed on the back of the
program this year.
Oaks said she hopes the redesigned button cards will be complete
and out by next weekend for a price. She said the new design is
like a booklet with each entertainer listed with a paragraph about
them, and the whole schedule is printed inside for easy reading.
The theme for this year is “Share the Night, Ignite the Spirit,”
and Oaks said the logo is designed by Dave Dalton of Zippo
Manufacturing Co.
