B. Roddy-CDS Juggling Entertainment creates 8 paintings simultaneously with objects that are never in his hand and never touch the canvas, at the fabulous new Akron-Summit County Public Library

The marquee of the Akron Civic Theatre, centrally located right Downtown, tells the story

Akron Symphony performs pop favorites and sing-a-longs under the beautifully renovated, star-filled ceiling of the historic Akron Civic Theatre, with real moving clouds

Christkindl Market, organized with Akron's German sister city Chemnitz, offers hand-made wood crafts, lace, ceramics, candles, Bratwurst, Kartoffelpuffer and Krapfen, in Lock 3 park.

Ice skating rink with heated observation area with free admission and cheap sk8 rentals, in Lock 3 Park next to the Akron Civic Theatre, across the street from the Lime Spider

Music turned the Hutzenstub at the Christkindlmarket at Lock 3 park into Funkytown, as an unidentified funk band cranked out the dance hits over the Schnitzel, Gluehwein & Stollen.

Jesters, clowns, jugglers and historical figures kept the kids and their parents entertained

The deco exterior of the Polsky Building, now part of the University of Akron campus, showcases it's architectural detail with holiday lighting

Traditional holiday storefront window displays like this one in the Polsky Building, some including live figures and dancers, delighted First Night pedestrians on the street

An almost unbelievable miniture village is created in a storefront on Main Street, with a biblical scene and I Spy objects to be identified by kids peeking through the windows

Cleveland's Singing Angels enchant an overflowing crowd at St. Bernard Church in the heart of First Night

Songstress Annie DeChant captivates the girls and the boys at Inventure Place, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, while hundreds of kids go hands-on with make-and-take crafts

Akron-based Hard Day's Night recreate the excitement of the early Beatles while kids and their parents dance and sing along at the John S. Knight Convention Center

First Nighters make their mark and write their New Year's Resolutions on a huge canvas at the Knight Center

Early bird fireworks at 9PM for the kids, and the real thing at midnight for the rest of us, viewed from the 8th floor balcony of Quaker Square

Photos by Thomas Mulready (:divend:)