Downtown Raleigh prepares for First Night

Downtown Raleigh was setting the stage Wednesday night in preparation for a New Year’s Eve celebration to entertain people of all ages.

Crews dodged rain showers Wednesday to finish putting up the Fantastical Ferris Wheel that’s always a hit with First Night Raleigh revelers. The traditional ride will be joined by The Sizzler, which is an updated version of one of the North Carolina State Fair’s first rides, The Scrambler.

Art Putt, a nine-hole miniature golf course decorated by local artists and featuring this year’s First Night theme of celebrating North Carolina firsts, opened on Wednesday for several hours to offer a preview of the festivities.

The New Year’s Eve fun gets started at 2 p.m. Thursday with the children’s celebration, followed by the people’s procession and an acorn drop for kids.