The Town of Swampscott is inviting parents to celebrate New Year’s Eve locally this year by bringing their families to First Night Swampscott, a kid-friendly community celebration from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Swampscott High School.
The afternoon event will feature activities for the children, such as a “Curious Creatures” reptile show, a balloon drop, face painting, a photo booth, and a comedy show from the Boston-based entertainment company 3 Ring Creations.
Recreation Director Danielle Strauss, who has played a lead role in organizing First Night Swampscott since its inception in 2016, said the event began as an opportunity to bring families in the community together locally at New Year’s Eve.
“It was born out of the idea that people shouldn’t really have to go into Boston to celebrate with their kids, that they could do things up here in Swampscott,” Strauss said. “We are doing more and more of those community events where families meet up with each other at a certain event with their kids … that’s what this is all about — just bringing the community together.”
While the entertainment acts change each year, Strauss said certain features, such as the countdown and balloon drop from the school’s second floor onto the atrium, have become year-to-year favorites. She said she expects the Curious Creatures show to be this year’s most popular act.
Last year’s First Night Swampscott event, which followed a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, saw a slight bump in attendance since 2019. In 2018, 91 families of four purchased tickets for the event; in 2019, that number dropped to only 51 families of four, and in 2022, 71 families returned to First Night Swampscott.
Unlike some of the town’s other family-friendly events, which feature beer and wine trucks for adults, Strauss said this afternoon party is geared primarily toward children.
“It’s a fun afternoon, and it’s over pretty quickly, so everybody gets to go home and make their adult plans for the evening,” Strauss said. “This one is definitely just for the kids. It’s all about the kids.”
For those interested in attending First Night Swampscott, tickets cost $25 for a family of four and can be purchased online at swampscottma.myrec.com.
