STORY:
Akron Planning Popular First Night

Millennium price gouging pushing ticket prices up for popular family event

Both the enthusiasm and the prices for Akron Ohio's First Night will be up this year. The city will celebrate New Year's Eve by staging its fourth annual First Night, the popular family oriented, alcohol free festival that is replicated in 205 cities in the US.

One of the new features this year will be ice sculptures in the form of candles. Each one will have its own sponsor, either an individual or a business. A placard will display the sponsor's name, and indicate whom it is meant to honor. This year there will be two fireworks displays, one for kids at 9 p.m. and the other at midnight.

But Akron is experiencing the same pains by millennium organizers around the country. Because of higher talent and labor costs, First Night Akron has been forced to raise its adult admission fees from $8 to $10 and children's fees are $5 from last year's prices of $4.

As an example, the Akron's The Beacon Journal says last year, First Night hired a laser light company out of Indianapolis to accompany the Akron Symphony Orchestra's performance. The company charged $4,000. Now, that same company wants $10,000 for the very same service this New Year's Eve. Organizers decided to pass on the lasers.

DATE: 8/26/99

For more E2000 stories, click here:
news | events | Y2K | today's news

Marketplace
Books
Collectibles
Celebration Supplies
General Merchandise
Travel Packages