7th Annual F.C. "Watch Night" Set for New Years Eve

For the seventh straight year, downtown Falls Church will be a hotbed of celebratory activity on New Year's Eve. Organizers of Watch Night, the annual festival that involves the closing of the 100 block of West Broad St. at Rt. 29 and a wide variety of family oriented activities are promising the most festive night yet.

Activities will center around giant Karaoke stage, where members of the Falls Church City Council will conduct the countdown to midnight, a big live music tent, a rock climbing wall and a moon bounce.

A total of nine venues, including restaurants in the block, will offer live music. All activities are free and the programs run from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Children's entertainment will be provided by Captain Token and Silly Lily. The Northern Lights Swing Band and the Falls Church Swing Ensemble will offer music for swing dancing, Sittin' on the Fence will offer contra/square dance music for both beginners and experienced dancers. Anansegromma Drummers open the program at the big tent, and Danny Blue and the Blues will play to countdown time. Randy Barrett will add his bluegrass sound. In addition, an 1890s party reenactment replete with era costumes and appointments will be performed.

The Watch Night event is administered by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, under the leadership of David Eckert, who announced to the Falls Church City Council this week that this would be his final year at the helm of the project. Some funding assistance comes from the City of Falls Church, but the majority is donated by local business entities and organizations, civic groups, churches and individuals.