BELFAST — On New Year’s Eve 2022 in Belfast there was a resounding . . . silence. After many years of enjoying a premier New Year’s Eve celebration, with most churches, halls, theaters and other organizations in town hosting a wide variety of acts, activities, food, and dance, Belfast’s fabulous New Year’s By the Bay was no more. Longtime incredible organizer Mary Mortier had stepped down, and the 501c3 dissolved.
In response, for 2023 a small band of volunteers gathered together to encourage and coordinate individual organizations hosting happenings on Dec. 31. As a result, the Belfast Maskers, the Belfast Free Library, the First Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Church, the Colonial Theater, Ananada Yoga, and the American Legion are joining to offer a variety of entertainment options in town.
The effort, dubbed “Last Night Belfast,” has a Facebook page that is posting fliers, events, and other information about the activities being planned. These include face painting, mime, a community sing, a poetry reading by Belfast poets, a magic show, a contra dance, an open mic, babysitting, a movie, meditation, live music, a DJ dance party, a board game cafe, and the annual culminating event- a parade down Main Street with The Drum and Rabble Marching Society followed by a beach bonfire. Most events are free with various venues collecting small donations to help cover costs.
For more information visit Last Night Belfast on Facebook or email lastnightbelfast@gmail.com. Members of the volunteer steering committee are Melora Norman, Courtney Hayes, Julia Olson, Sasha Kutsy, Andrea Butler, Beth Cohen, and Tom Maycock.