Vickie Adamson Announced as Honorary Chair of WRAL First Night Raleigh 2022
Elizabeth S. Hedrick, President of the Artsplosure Board of Directors, announced that Wake County Commissioner Vickie Adamson will serve as the honorary chair of WRAL First Night Raleigh. The 30th edition of the annual New Year’s Eve arts festival will take place on Friday, December 31, 2021, in a 20+ block area of downtown Raleigh.
In making the announcement, Hedrick praised Adamson’s long standing and exemplary volunteer service. “Vickie has taken on many critical roles over the years, from venue and stage managing to serving on the steering committees of First Night Raleigh and Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival. Vickie is one of the most dynamic and enthusiastic volunteer leaders with whom we have had the opportunity to work.”
In addition to her volunteer work with Artsplosure and First Night Raleigh, Vickie has worked with the Clothing Closet, AnimalKind, the African American Dance Ensemble and various PTA’s.
Vickie Adamson is a North Carolina native, and she has lived in Raleigh since 1983. She was first elected to the Wake County Board of Commissioners in 2018. In her public service role, she serves as the Chair of the Wake County Affordable Housing Committee, which in 2021 built more affordable units than in any year in Wake County history. Vickie also serves as Vice-Chair of Human Services and is the Commission’s liaison for Libraries and Tourism. Vickie chaired the Commission’s Art Committee in 2019 and 2020, working tirelessly to allocate $1 million in CARES Act grants for the Wake County Arts Community. In her role as Tourism Liaison, she ensured that the Commission allocated Recover Act Funding for the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau to create an ad campaign to jump start tourism in Wake County. This ad campaign won national awards. As a result, Wake County tourism is recovering faster than the national average.
WRAL First Night Raleigh festivities kick off at 2:00 p.m. with the Children’s Celebration at Bicentennial Plaza. The Funky Ferris Wheel, Disco Roller Rink and Groovy Gravitron rides open to the public at 2:00 p.m. on Fayetteville Street. Performances on the outdoor Main Stage will commence at 6:00 p.m. as will the People’s Procession. Parents can have their children ring in the New Year with the Early Countdown at 7:00 p.m. An array of evening performances and interactive programs also begin at 7:00 p.m. in multiple indoor and outdoor venues. There will be ongoing performances on the Main Stage, with the Countdown to Midnight beginning at 10:30 p.m. with headliner Sonny Miles, and concluding at midnight with the famous Raleigh acorn drop finale.
A complete list of the full lineup can be found at www.FirstNightRaleigh.com, with admission currently on sale for $12* when purchased in advance (*plus local and state sales tax) at area Harris Teeter stores or online at Etix.com. Children under five years old will be admitted free of charge.