New Years Eve Celebrations to Take Over ArtSpace Herndon

ArtSpace Herndon will once again fill the air with festivities on Dec. 31 with the third annual New Years Eve Celebration, which will feature three special events.

The evening kicks off at ArtSpace, 750 Center St., with family friendly activities from 7-9 p.m. Children can enjoy hands-on art projects in the gallery, storytelling and folk music and dancing.

Sun Dance Performance Company, which serves on the event’s planning committee, is participating by teaching attendees simple folk dances.

After the family activities, a bonfire will be held outside on the ArtSpace lawn from 9-10 p.m. The bonfire will include folk music and drumming, dancing and more.

ArtSpace curator and volunteer Les Zidel said they want the bonfire to be festive and in past years have worked with materials like dyed pinecones to color the flames. He said they want the bonfire to be artistic and interactive.

Zidel said organizers also like to think of the bonfire as burning off the vestiges of the previous year and starting anew, sending up wishes for the next year into the sky.

“We plan to make a bunch of noise and dance around the fire,” Zidel said. “What we’re trying to do is more family activities.”

Often there are New Years Eve events where people dress up, go out and sit and watch musicians and entertainers, but ArtSpace wanted an interactive event.

The last part of the evening will be the post bonfire party from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

The party in the gallery will be modeled after Jay Leno’s Tonight Show, featuring local performers, artists and entertainers.

Instead of a backdrop of New York, there will be a backdrop of Herndon. A desk and a chair will be on the stage area for the host to ask questions of performers before they take the stage to entertain the crowd.

The event will even include commercials from the event’s sponsors, a Top 10 of things to do in Herndon and a Leno-style walkabout with questions. Performances will include singing, jazz music, folk music, hoopdancing and other talents.

The post bonfire party will also include light refreshments and a cash bar with wine and champagne. There will be a countdown to midnight, as well, he said.

Zidel said they are encouraging people to come downtown early, enjoy a meal at one of Herndon’s downtown restaurants then heading to ArtSpace to join in on the festivities. He said they would love to see the event grow to include more businesses and organizations in downtown Herndon.

“Fourth year, I’d like to see it become a town event,” Zidel said. “We think it should become bigger than just what we can do as volunteers. New Years Eve is a really special holiday.”

Zidel said when it comes to New Years, everyone can celebrate and events are inclusive. He said the idea that the new year is the time to start over and start fresh is applicable to everyone as well.

For more information on ArtSpace’s New Years Eve Celebrations, visit www.ArtSpace.org. 

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