First Night Boston Stops Planning 2014 Festival

Boston residents and visitors used to celebrating New Year’s Eve in the Copley Square area may have to change their plans for ringing in 2014.

First Night Boston, the nonprofit organization that has been running First Night festivals downtown since 1976, has ceased operations, citing a lack of funds to properly plan the annual affair, the Boston Business Journal reported Friday.

A vote taken by the board of directors to end operations takes effect immediately, and means the organization will stop planning First Night Boston 2014, according to the article.

According to a press release circulated by the First Night organization, the board hopes to transfer the First Night Boston trademark to the City of Boston, with the idea that the annual festivities might continue under the leadership of another organization.

“The board, recognizing that First Night is one of the city’s signature events, plans to work with the city to identify an organization that can assume the First Night brand and eventually produce an event containing at least some of the elements of a First Night celebration,” the press release states.