The basics

Admission
The First Night button sells for $20; wearing it will get you into hundreds of indoor events featuring 1,200 artists. It is good for all three days of the fest, Friday through Sunday. Single or two-day buttons are not available. Children under 10 will be admitted free to the family festival at the Hynes Convention Center, Friday and Saturday 1-6 p.m. The button is not necessary for outdoor events.

Buying buttons
They will be on sale through Sunday at Bostix at Copley Square and Faneuil Hall, Boston Common Visitor Information Center, The Boston Globe Bookstore, Children's Museum, Emerson Majestic Theatre, Harrison Gray Otis House, Huntington Theatre Company, Institute of Contemporary Art, participating McDonald's, Museum of Fine Arts, New England Aquarium, Old State House Museum, Prudential Center visitor kiosk, Shop at the Union/Women's Industrial and Educational Union, Starbucks, Stop & Shop Supermarkets, and Store 24s. Beginning tomorrow, buttons will also be available at City Hall Plaza, corner of Arlington and Boylston streets, Hynes Convention Center (Friday and Saturday only), and Park Street T Station.

Information
Call 617-542-1399 or visit www.firstnight.org.

Restrooms
Arlington at Boylston Street, Boston Common, Boylston at Dartmouth, City Hall Plaza, Copley Square, Waterfront Park, and Shops at Prudential Center.

Emergencies/lost children
Call 911 for any medical emergency. Report lost or found children to 911, or the nearest police officer or station. Basic first aid and lost children centers will be at the Hynes, Friday and Saturday 1 p.m.-1 a.m.; and at City Hall, Friday and Saturday 6:30 p.m.-1 a.m., and Sunday 1-7 p.m.

Food, beverages, smoking
All three are banned at indoor sites unless posted otherwise.

Alcohol
State law prohibits drinking in public places; violators will be subject to arrest.

Weather
All scheduled First Night events are expected to take place regardless of conditions.

Parking
No special areas will be set aside. Parking lots and garages include Boston Common Garage, CityPlace/The Transportation Building, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Five Hundred Boylston, John Hancock Garage, Museum of Science, MFA, and Prudential Center. Best bet: Take the T.

Road closings
The police will decide based on pedestrian traffic. Boylston and adjoining streets close at 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday for parades. Atlantic Avenue and adjoining streets are closed each evening before fireworks.

Wheelchairs
All official First Night sites are wheelchair-accessible.

Hearing-impaired
Selected programs are interpreted in American Sign Language; see event listings in the First Night program for details. For more information, contact the statewide Relay Service and ask for First Night at 617-542-1399. For TTY access in Massachusetts, contact Bell Atlantic Telephone's Relay Service at 1-800-439-2370.

Tips

Plan ahead
Make note of time and location of events you want to see. The First Night Web site has an interactive planner. Allow ample time to get from one location to the next; you'll have a big crowd to contend with. Locations close to Copley Square and the Common fill up quickly. Try sites that are slightly off the beaten path. Plan backup choices, just in case a show is filled.

Dress warmly
Wear layers, so that you can peel off extra clothing when you get inside. Wear comfortable walking shoes (put the dance shoes in your knapsack).

Arrive early
Admission to performances is on a first-come, first-served basis; there is no reserved seating. Venues are cleared between performances. Late arrivals will be allowed in at the discretion of each site's management.

Getting home
Following the fireworks, the Government Center and Aquarium T stops get very crowded. The few minutes it takes to walk to other T stops will be worth it.

Save your button
Show your button at select Boston-area restaurants, businesses, and entertainment and recreation venues during the first three months of the year, and receive a discount. See First Night program guide for details.

Highlights

Opening Ceremony
Mayor Thomas M. Menino kicks of the celebration at City Hall Plaza Thursday at 5 p.m. with the illumination of 200 electric candles carved from ice. The Janice Allen Freedom Choir performs, and Tim McHale and Nick Page lead a sing-along of Boston's "Millennium Song."

Family festival
Friday and Saturday afternoons at the Hynes; Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the new US Courthouse.

Dance parties
Friday and Saturday nights the Hynes hosts bands playing everything from swing to country to alternative rock.

Fireworks
There are four shows in all. The first is over Boston Common at Friday 7 p.m.; the other three are over Boston Harbor: Friday at midnight, and Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. Waterfront Park and Government Center are the most popular locations for watching the harbor fireworks. Less crowded vantage points include Bunker Hill (near the Orange Line's Community College stop), Orient Hill (at the Blue Line's Orient Heights stop) or the East Boston waterfront (near the Blue Line's Maverick stop).

Grand Procession
First Night performers step off at the Hynes at 5 p.m. Friday, march down Boylston Street, turn left onto Charles Street, enter the Common at corner of Beacon and Charles.

Percussion Procession
On Saturday at 5 p.m., drummers and dancers stomp and bang their way down the Grand Procession route. Anyone can join in.

LIGHTmotif 2000
Laser shows, skytracking, image projections will paint downtown buildings in an array of colors.

Closing Ceremony
The Janice Allen Freedom Choir is back Sunday at 5:30, as are McHale and Page, who will lead a sing-along of greatest hits of the second millennium. At 7 p.m., harbor fireworks.