The Oil City Arts Council, bedeviled by a string of public event cancellations in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, intends to pull off its 23rd annual First Night celebration on New Year’s Eve.
While it will be very different from previous end-of-the-year festivals, First Night will be a fire-and-ice celebration.
“We’re doing big ice sculptures and a big fireworks show,” said Dan Feroz, who is coordinating the annual event along with Oil City Mayor Bill Moon. “We usually have 12 to 14 different venues that night, but we can’t do anything inside because of COVID restrictions.”
3 sculpture sites
The award-winning Ice Creations of Pittsburgh, an ice-sculpting company with more than 38 years of experience, will create four large sculptures. They will be set up on Thursday, Dec. 31.
A sculpted and life-size sleigh and two reindeer will be set up in Town Square.
King’s Memorial Park along Main Street will feature a large ice throne.
Oil City Library will be the site of carved penguins.
The fourth sculpture, one that will depict the logo for Oil City’s sesquicentennial celebration in 2021, will be at Town Square.
There will be lighting at the sites to allow for photographs in the evening.
Feroz said nonprofit organizations interested in setting up refreshment stands at any of the ice-sculpture sites can contact him for information at (814) 758-6325.
The fireworks display will be set off at midnight on New Year’s Eve behind the VFW on Relief Street. The time has been moved from what had been 10 p.m. in previous years.
It will ‘be big, real big’
“It hurts us that we can’t have those many venues because of capacity limits, so we can only have two things going on,” said Feroz. “But, we put more money and time into this First Night so both the sculptures and the fireworks should be big, real big.”
The city’s First Night celebrations are funded through contributions from local sponsors.
“We appreciate our past sponsors, and because of the way we had to do it this year we had enough money in the budget,” said Feroz. “But, the Oil City Arts Council would certainly accept any contributions to keep this going.”
The Arts Council is asking patrons to wear face masks and practice social distancing at the locations as health precautions.
As more and more community events were scaled back or canceled, the Arts Council members were intent on preserving the First Night celebration even as it was reduced in size.
“We want to give back to the community with this family-friendly event,” said Feroz. “Even more, people are locked up right now, staying in their homes. Everyone wants to do something, and this is a good activity for the whole family.”
