NYE Rundown: First Night Missoula

Kids are able to decorate top hats for New Year’s Eve with supplies provided by First Night organizers before the kick off event at Southgate Mall.

SpectrUM Discovery Area is open to anyone with a First Night button from 2-5 p.m.

Raising kids with a close relationship to music, crafts, and culture is one of the many reasons we choose Missoula. If there’s one thing this city has an appreciation for, it’s art, and there’s no better display than New Year’s Eve festival known as First Night Missoula.

“First Night is a community-building project,” says Tom Benson, director of Arts Missoula, the nonprofit that has run the event for the past 26 years.

It’s impossible to attend all the activities the event offers, so we’ve handpicked a few to highlight. There’s something for everyone, beginning with a parade in the mall for young children, starting at noon. Kids will be able to design and show off their festive handmade top hats, and all supplies are provided on site. Mayor John Engen even shows up to officiate the march.

First Night is a great opportunity to expose your kids to a new skill or art form, from dancing, blacksmithing, fencing, and even miming. SpectrUM Discovery Area will be open from 2-5 p.m. and free to anyone with a First Night button, as will A Carousel for Missoula from 2-11 p.m.

Let your kids transform into the animal or superhero of their dreams with SPARK! Arts Face Painting from 3-6 p.m. at the University Center Atrium.

Turning the Wheel will help your kids get their pent-up winter energy out, with guided movements that encourage play and joy at the University Center Ballroom at 2 p.m.

This year, Zootown Arts Community Center is in a new location, and invites young participants to try their hand at screen printing. Don’t forget to bring a light-colored shirt to participate.

First Night Spotlight, a variety talent show has high school students competing for hundreds of dollars and a live radio performance.

“The arts are really important for making us better human beings,” Benson said. “It makes us more thoughtful. We get to appreciate where we live and who we live with.”

First Night buttons are $12 before the event, $15 the day of, and free for children 10 and under.

For a complete list of events, visit artsmissoula.org/first-night.