Heavy security for First Night

Throngs of First Night revelers braved the cold early Wednesday and brought in the New Year by taking in a dazzling midnight fireworks display that lit up the sky over Boston Harbor.

"Boston at night is gorgeous," Julia Shearer, 47, of Philadelphia, said as she watched the display with her family. "Gorgeous."

The pyrotechnics capped a full day of live music, stunning ice sculptures, and other arts and cultural offerings that had the city bustling for the 38th consecutive year.

Earlier on Tuesday evening, spectators Boylston Street for the annual New Year's parade.

Chinese lions, Revolutionary-era pipers and drummers, unicyclists, giant toucans, and dancing dinosaurs thrilled families with wide-eyed children and young couples looking forward to a New Year's kiss.

Confetti floated on winter winds as outgoing Mayor Thomas M. Menino and his wife Angela rode down the street on the first float, belonging to Teamsters Local 125.

Then came marchers bearing flags, wearing angel wings, and walking on stilts. A dragon dance troupe from the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association was also part of the procession.

Emily Bessette, a 20-year-old in a puffy black coat, said the parade seemed geared to a slightly younger crowd.

"The kids seemed like they had a lot of fun," said Bessette, a Southborough native in Boston to celebrate with friends. "It's impressively long."

Children with balloons, painted faces, and lit-up headgear brushed elbows with couples dressed in sparkling finery as revelers sped through the biting cold to their various celebrations.

Rachel Neuwirth, 49, of Somerville, gave the parade high marks.

"It was awesome," she said. "I liked the Chinese Dragon guys."

Her friend, Kathy Blythe, 62, praised Menino for helping to make the event a reality after financial troubles almost shut it down.

"It almost fell through, so I just say three cheers for him," Blythe said.

The future of First Night, which started nearly 40 years ago in Boston and has spread across the country, had been in doubt after the nonprofit that for decades hosted the end-of-the-year afternoon and evening of arts, cultural events, and fireworks ceased operations in June.

But with a boost from Menino and the support of some big-name corporations and non-profits, the extravaganza returned this year with a full slate of events.

In addition to the parade, this year's festivities included an ice skating show on Frog Pond on the Common, a puppet theater performance at the Hynes Convention Center, and a concert from the famed rocker and memoirist Patti Smith, according to the official schedule.

Smith gave a rousing performance at the Convention Center, playing her classic "Dancing Barefoot" and other fan favorites including "Because the Night" and "Free Money."

"So it's the end of the year," she said before launching into a two-song tribute to rock icon Lou Reed, who died in October. "We're all so grateful to be here, and we salute our dear departed ones."

First Night organizers this year also unveiled the first-ever Boston Marathon-themed ice sculpture in Copley Square near the finish line, to celebrate the city's resilience in the aftermath of the April 15 bombings, which killed three people and injured more than 260.

Karen Brody, 57, of Watertown, and Joyce Bailey, 60, of Arlington, said along the parade route that it was exciting to celebrate in Boston, especially after the city endured a devastating attack.

"It's great to see this spirit after this last year," Brody said.

Acting Police Commissioner William Evans had pledged on Monday to beef up the police presence, especially along the parade route and nearby streets, and he said that "plenty of bomb assets" would be on hand as a precaution.

Those security measures were visible on Tuesday, as uniformed officers in reflective yellow vests strolled the boulevard, mingling with the festive crowd.

And the revelers, while brimming with excitement throughout the night, generally celebrated in an orderly fashion. A police spokeswoman said she had no reports of any First Night-related arrests as of late Tuesday night.

The earlier fireworks display began promptly at 7 p.m. over Boston Common, opening with a matched set of brilliant white starbursts that excited small children and terrified at least one dog held by its owner on a leash at the edge of the park.

Thousands of eyes turned skyward in shut-down sections of Boylston and Charles streets, cheering for the blasts. Couples stood arm in arm, and some spectators, including at least one uniformed Boston police officer, held smartphones aloft to capture images or videos of the display.