First Night celebrations will be returning after a pandemic hiatus, delivering an evening of art and entertainment to revelers this New Year’s Eve.

Centered around the Back Bay, First Night has been celebrated annually to ring in the new year since 1975. Backed by a diverse cast of businesses and civic groups, First Night tries to appeal to families and individual attendees over its twelve hours of programming.

Covid-19 put a stop to the 40-year tradition last year, but now organizers at the event planning company Conventures said infections have ebbed enough for the celebration to resume.

T.K. Skinderian, a member of the Conventures team overseeing planning, said attendees can be trusted to look after their own safety. “This time last year there wasn't a widely available vaccine, and now there is,” he said. “Like with all Boston events masks will be required at all indoor venues, and we recommended them outside, but at this point folks are used to outdoor programming and exercising caution. People can practice personal responsibility.”

Conventures hasn’t made estimates for how large the crowd will be this year, but 2019’s First Night drew a projected 300,000 participants. Those who do show up will be in for over twelve hours of events stretching from Copley Square to the Boston Common.

Live music begins at noon. Smaller events will give way to the Celebrate Boston procession at six, running from Copley Square to the Common. That will culminate in a fireworks show, music, and ice sculptures. Another fireworks show over the harbor accompanying a countdown to midnight will bring the evening’s events to a close. A full schedule can be found on the First Night website. Skinderian is confident that the event will draw a crowd despite the ongoing pandemic. He said residents have adjusted to exercising safety precautions. He commented that event planners have also gotten used to the pandemic’s unique challenges.

“The pandemic might dampen things a bit. People will be wearing masks, but from a planning standpoint we are just continuing to work in concert with the state and city to adopt their guidelines like we always would,” he added. “It’s not too different this year, just a lot more collaboration with municipal partners. It’s a really family-fun event, and we’re thrilled to be putting it on again.”

For Boston’s businesses and residents, the resumption of the First Night tradition marks a sign that things are returning to something resembling normalcy. In a press release put out by the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park and First Night’s many other backers, Mayor Michelle Wu applauded the event’s return.“I’m thrilled for Boston to ring in the New Year with the return of midnight fireworks over the harbor! Thank you to all of our partners for bringing back this tradition for everyone to enjoy together, creating a delightful start to 2022 for residents, visitors, and all spectators at the waterfront," she said.