Staff Writer

ONEONTA - Second comes before third, and third before fourth, but what comes before first? Not Quite First Night, according to the First Night steering committee.

The committee is sponsoring the event Thursday to kick off button sales for the New Year's Eve celebration.

First Night buttons will be available during the event — from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at The Telecenter — for $5 each, half the usual price. The committee is ordering 4,000 buttons and will have about 3,200 available.

"We've never sold out," said committee chairman Jim Koury, "but we're hoping to this year."

Not Quite First Night is being held on the same evening as the tree-lighting ceremony in Main Street Plaza. The Rob Hunt Duo, one of the performers slated for First Night, will perform from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and refreshments will be provided. In addition to the buttons, attendees will also be able to purchase First Night merchandise. A 50-50 raffle will also be held.

Oneonta's First Night celebration started six years ago. The event is based on a model of a non-alcoholic New Year's celebration through the arts that was first celebrated in Boston as a finale of the city's Bicentennial events in 1976.

"It's a way to bring the community together other than going to a bar or going to a party and getting sloshed," Koury said. "It's become very popular."

Last year's First Night drew about 3,000 people, and organizers expect between 3,000 and 3,500 people to attend this year's event, Koury said.

A five-kilometer run will kick off this year's celebration, and children's activities will be held the afternoon of Dec. 31. Koury said First Night would include more children's entertainment this year. Various entertainment venues will be open throughout the evening.

Planning for each First Night starts almost as soon as the previous celebration is over, Koury said.

"We usually get together in January and do a debriefing - what went right, what went wrong," he said. "It's really a never-ending process."

About 250 people, including the steering committee and volunteers, are involved in putting together First Night, Koury said. Besides button sales, funding comes from private and corporate donations.

Besides next week's event, buttons can be purchased online at oneonta.ny.us/first.htm.

Additional sales locations will be announced later by the steering committee.

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Melissa Scram can be reached at mscram@thedailystar.com or (607) 441-7213.