First Night Buffalo provides families with a unique, online New Year's Eve celebration

First Night family party packs sold at select Tops Friendly Markets beginning in early December, with portion of proceeds benefitting Oishei Children’s Hospital

This year’s First Night Buffalo will feature an entertaining lineup of family-friendly video performances for free at www.firstnightbuffalo.org the evening of Dec. 31.

First Night party packs, including “everything a family of four needs to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home,” will be on sale at select Tops Friendly Markets and online at www.firstnightbuffalo.org throughout December. This year, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the party packs will go to Oishei Children’s Hospital, “supporting critical programs, lifesaving technology and care to achieve the best possible outcomes for moms, kids and babies in Western New York,” a press release noted.

“Oishei Children’s Hospital has been proud to partner with the Independent Health Foundation as we both work to meet the needs of children and families across our community,” said Stephen Turkovich, M.D., president of Oishei Children’s Hospital. “We are thrilled to again be the presenting sponsor for First Night Buffalo. From the party packs to the free digital content, First Night provides a safe and fun option for families to celebrate the New Year.

“First Night Buffalo, one of the Independent Health Foundation’s signature programs, marks its 35th year as a family-friendly celebration. It is the fourth year the event has been all-virtual, allowing families from across Western New York to usher in the New Year in an entertaining and affordable way in their own homes. With more than two hours of recorded programming, families can watch together or create a kids-only viewing party that is fun and safe.”

Independent Health Foundation Executive Director Carrie Meyer said, “With another amazing show planned, this year’s First Night Buffalo celebration will be packed with energy and fun for families. Together in partnership with John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, we can provide free online access to the videos for families across Western New York to enjoy a special New Year’s Eve from the comfort of their home.”

Jeff Musial of Nickel City Reptiles and Exotics (Photo courtesy of Independent Health Foundation)

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First Night Buffalo 2024 Entertainment Lineup

The entertainment lineup for First Night Buffalo will be accessible for free at www.firstnightbuffalo.org beginning on New Year’s Eve. In addition to performers and shows, this year’s lineup will again include “Buffalo’s Talent Show,” featuring a collection of talent videos from Western New York kids.

First Night Buffalo family entertainment will include:

•Jeff Musial – Nickel City Reptiles and Exotics Jeff and his exotic animals are back again! Tune in to peek into Jeff’s wild world, including interesting facts you won’t forget!

•Dance party with DJ Milk Grab those LED glow wands and plug in that disco spotlight! Get moving with DJ Milk as he plays your favorite tunes.

•Buffalo Zoo Go behind the scenes to see some of the venue’s favorite animals to learn more about how they eat, sleep and play.

•Magic with Nick Mambretti Nick will bring his “Super Hilarious Magic Show!” Get ready to laugh and be amazed.

•Face Paint NY Get your stencil ready as you learn some amazing face paint designs.

•Adam Kreutinger: The Puppet Nerd Make your very own puppet with just a few everyday items. Find your inner artist as you create fantastic drawings.

•Devi Bollywood Performing Arts Devi Bollywood is here to celebrate expression through cultural dance.

•Royal Receptions Your favorite super brothers are here! Follow along to power up with some moves to save the kingdom!

•Tiley Strozewski Featured in the Netflix hit show “Dance 100,” Tiley will teach viewers some new dance moves.

First Night Buffalo (Logo courtesy of Independent Health Foundation)

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First Night Buffalo Party Packs

To supplement a New Year’s Eve party at home, First Night party packs are available for $25 online and at Tops Friendly Markets, with a portion of the proceeds going to Oishei Children’s Hospital. Party hats, balloons, face paint crayons, a disco spotlight, fiber optic wands, noise tubers, confetti poppers, a balloon drop kit, and a “Healthy Options” recipe book are among the party supplies provided in each box, along with two activity books from Explore & More and passes to the Buffalo Zoo.

This year, there will be “golden ticket” boxes with additional surprises ranging from gift cards to Fresh Catch Poke Co., and Tops, to pencils, gloves, scarves and beanie hats from Independent Health.

First Night Buffalo 2024 is presented by the Independent Health Foundation in partnership with John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. It is sponsored by Independent Health, Lamar, EyeMed, NationsBenefits, Independent Health, Magellan RX Management, Simplify Healthcare, The Buffalo News, Buffalo Business First, Compu-Mail, Channel 7 WKBW, and The Buffalo Zoo.

For more information about the Independent Health Foundation’s activities, visit www.independenthealth.com/foundation.

Children celebrate the new year (Photo courtesy of Independent Health Foundation)