First Night Akron made downtown a place to welcome the new year through music, dance, theater, visual arts and participation. Its history lives in admission buttons, programs, photographs and the memories of the people who took part.
- 1996
The first night
The inaugural celebration took place on December 31, 1996, welcoming 1997. The first button artwork was by Don Drumm.
- 2015
An anniversary in the making
Lawrence A. Walker designed the 2015 admission button. The Downtown Akron Partnership report records performances and activities across downtown. This edition took place December 31, 2014.
- 2016
Twenty celebrations
Don Drumm returned for the 20th annual edition. His button, “The Phoenix Arising,” belongs to the celebration held December 31, 2015.
- 2017
Art you could wear
April Couch’s button accompanied the 21st annual celebration, held December 31, 2016. The annual report describes music, art and shared activity across downtown venues.
- 2018
The original run closes
The 22nd edition welcomed 2018 on December 31, 2017. Downtown Akron Partnership announced the festival’s retirement in July 2018. We do not describe the following years as an uninterrupted festival run.
- 2027
A new chapter
The current operator has confirmed a return on December 31, 2026, welcoming 2027. The new program will be announced separately from the archive.
The button was part of the experience
Admission buttons connected practical entry with a piece of local art. Their changing designs offer a compact visual history of the festival. Browse the button collection to compare three documented examples and their artists.
Read the original record
The website archive restores surviving festival pages in readable form. The document library preserves complete recovered PDF files, including programs, maps and volunteer material. Each item keeps its own date and historical purpose.