HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2011-12-02 First Night Cancelled
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
First Night in Leesburg Cancelled for 2011
Leesburg, VA (December 2, 2011) – In a joint release with the Town of Leesburg, the Bluemont
Concert Series announced with great regret the cancellation of the 2011 First Night Leesburg
celebration. Over the past 25 years, this popular New Year’s Eve event has brought thousands
of families, neighbors and visitors to downtown Leesburg to welcome in the New Year with a
truly special celebration of the cultural spirit in our community.
“We are certainly not happy about this decision but we are convinced it is the right one under
the circumstances,” said Bob Sevila, First Night Leesburg Posse Chairman and member of the
Bluemont Board of Directors. “An unfortunate combination of factors has led to our decision to
cancel, including persistent financial uncertainties and the untimely injury and slow recovery of
key Bluemont staff leaders.”
“First Night Leesburg is a difficult project to pull off under the best of times,” added Milton
Herd, Bluemont Chairman of the Board and Posse member. “We definitely want to thank our
incredible partners, volunteers and sponsors who have helped Bluemont build the support for
First Night Leesburg project since 1986. Now seems like a good time to step back and assess
how to best continue this remarkable community project in the future.”
Leesburg Town Manager John Wells announced the decision to cancel First Night at Monday’s
Town Council work session, explaining, “After 25 years of celebration, Bluemont’s production of
First Night Leesburg is taking a break this New Year’s Eve due to unforeseeable circumstances
beyond control.”
Wells continued, “Bluemont thanks the Leesburg community for their continuing support and
looks forward to future quality events and celebrations.”
First Night Leesburg is a family-focused, community celebration of the arts held on New Year’s
Eve in downtown Leesburg. It is a non-profit Bluemont community project created each year by
more than 120 volunteers and an estimated 750 hours of preparation, presentation, and clean-
up. It involves families, businesses and civic organizations from all over our community.
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TOL PR 2011-12-02 First Night Cancelled
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Each year since 1986, First Night Leesburg has presented a wonderful variety of performing
groups and activities at dozens of indoor sites within walking distance in downtown Leesburg
between 6pm and 12 midnight. Last year, First Night Leesburg presented 45 artist groups in 92
performances at 17 indoor sites and was attended by approximately 3,500 – 4,000 Town
residents and visitors.
A popular tradition here in Leesburg, First Night’s Midnight Grand Illumination finale brings
many hundreds of friends and families together to the center of our beautiful, colonial
downtown. Together we usher in the New Year with a candle-lit sing along and a dramatic
countdown as the Old Courthouse bell peals out twelve times for good fortune for us all in the
new year.
“Again, we are none of us happy with the cancellation of 2011’s First Night Leesburg,”
concluded Peter Dunning, Bluemont President. “We do however want to thank you all for your
good help in building Bluemont and First Night Leesburg. We will be working over the next
months on a transition plan to assure the future of Bluemont’s programs in the community. If
you’d like to help, please contact us at transitionplan@bluemont.org.”
Contact:
Nathan Borger
Media Coordinator, Bluemont Concert Series
nathan@bluemont.org
540-338-4640
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