Hill City Celebrations Gearing Up for Festival of Lights, First Night

ONEONTA—Hill City Celebrations is gearing up for the 2024 holiday season, hosting its annual Festival of Lights in Neahwa Park from December 14 through January 1. On December 31, Oneonta’s New Year’s Eve celebration will return to the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, offering free entertainment and light refreshments for the whole family from 5-8:30 p.m.

The Festival of Lights—sponsored by Five Star Subaru of Oneonta—begins at sunset on Saturday, December 14, and all are invited to enjoy the first lighting, hot cocoa, popcorn, Cosmic Karma Fire performers, and visitors from the North Pole, including Santa Claus. The festival will run every night through January 1, 2025. Admission is free and all are welcome to drive through Neahwa Park to enjoy dozens of light displays from area organizations and businesses.

“It’s our favorite time of year at Hill City Celebrations,” said Connie Herzig, chair of the Hill City Celebrations Board of Directors. “The Festival of Lights has become a treasured holiday staple for Oneonta and its surrounding communities. On New Year’s Eve, our First Night celebration at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center has been a beloved family-friendly event for over two decades. Hill City Celebrations was founded as First Night Oneonta, and we are honored to carry on this event as a tribute to our organization’s establishment, providing a safe, admission-free, family event as we ring in the new year.”

Hill City Celebrations’ First Night celebration on New Year’s Eve at the Foothills is free and will feature light refreshments, performances from local entertainers (including music from Bobby Curious; a demonstration from Harmony Martial Arts; and performances from area dance schools), children’s activities, juggling, balloon art, face-painting, the Hill City Ice Queen and Friends, and much more.

Hill City Celebrations, formerly known as First Night Oneonta, is an organization whose mission is to promote and celebrate arts and culture in a family-friendly, alcohol-free atmosphere. A dedicated board of volunteers oversees Hill City Celebrations’ annual events. Thanks to donations from Five Star Subaru and other generous community sponsors, Hill City Celebrations is proud to offer free admission to its events throughout the year, including the Oneonta Festival of Lights, New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Foothills PAC, and the Hometown Fourth of July in Neahwa Park. Learn more by following Hill City Celebrations on Facebook.

Interested in setting up a display for the 2024 Festival of Lights? E-mail Hill City Celebrations at firstnightoneonta@gmail.com by December 2, 2024. To learn more about being part of Hill City Celebrations’ entertainment line-up on New Year’s Eve at the Foothills, e-mail Sean Lewis at slewis@otsegocc.com.