Come on out and drum on New Year's Eve in Santa Cruz!
Every entertainer, poet, mime, clown, band, theater production, etc.
is employed on First Night Santa Cruz. Downtown Santa Cruz is opened
up for an amazing alcohol free new year celebration that becomes a 20
ring family friendly community circus.

Here are the ways you can participate!

THE PARADE:
The New Years Eve Parade/Procession down the Pacific Garden Mall will
be taking place at 5:30. The community drummers bring up the end of
the parade with a kick butt drum jam. Moving ever so slowly up the
mall, gathering momentum as we go. I've been in it the past bunch of
years and had a blast. As the parade moves, others can join with their
instruments. By the end Arthur has us all moving pretty fast and
furious. It is MOST fun and exciting. The crowd really enjoy it alot.
There is also lots of drumming afterwards too.

Since Santa Cruz First Night started, we have always been at the tail
end of the procession. We start the parade with a small die-hard group
of about about 20 to 30 players. The rest of the Santa Cruz drumming
community brings hand percussion and drums and watches the parade as
it marches down the out door mall to the town clock. As our marching
ensemble passes by, they join us. By the time we reach the town clock,
we have gathered up all the drummers within ten miles, and our
marching percussion ensemble is one hundred too three hundred drummers
strong. We then circle up and have a quick jam till the cops stop us
and then send us to our "designated circle site" at the other end of
the mall.

You can join us, on the 31st of Dec., by:
*1, Meeting us at the end of the Pacific Garden Mall at 5:00 PM,
near Pacific and Maple streets, (next to Subway), as we gather together
for our traditional community rhythm march. Or you can;
*2, Come watch the parade go by, and then pull out your percussion toy
and jump into our marching percussion ensemble in as we bring up the

Just got an email from Arthur and he says:
"#1 more bell players, #2 jun juns and #3 a couple of herders to keep
the back of the ensemble moving forward"

So if you feel you might want to volunteer in one of the above? We
need a few solid bottom drummers who can keep on the beat WHILE
walking, playing and moving. Sometimes the parade moves too fast so we
also need a few herders to keep us together in a playful gentle way.
Any takers?

Arthur also has a HUGE, thick-headed, two sided, Native American
Grandma Base drum. To use it we would need someone to pull it in synch
with the rest of the group. Any volunteers? We would also need a small
platform on wheels to pull it. Email if you would like to volunteer.

THE DRUM CIRCLES
The family friendly drum circles happen in the afternoon near Cathcart
and Pacific Ave. from 3:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon. The family
friendly circle is where we usually loan out drums and percussion and
recruit our volunteers to help us start the drumming part of the Parade.

Then right after the big down town parade there will be an evening
"Adult Paarrty!!!" drum circle from 7 to 8:30 pm. at the same Cathcart
and Pacific street site.

Come join us in the parade and the drum circles in Santa Cruz on New
Years Eve! Bring your drumming and shakers and come out and
play...Yeah! http://www.firstnightsc.com/

Hope your holiday season is calm, peaceful and full of sweet light.
Have fun!

Kennedy (and Arthur too!)