I seem to remember that the concept started in Boston, Mike. Stamford, Connecticut where I lived for many years started a first night several years after the first one, and modeled it after Boston's. The event was horrendously organized, unfortunately. They sold something like 10,000 buttons that admitted you to all the events going on, but at any one time there was space for only a cuple of thousand people. That meant that some people spent the whole night wandering from program to program, never once getting in. An enormous amount was spent on printing and publicity, and then they didn't have the money to pay the performers (me being one of them.) It was merciful when it died. Most people didn't miss it because they had such angry memories.

Done properly, and can be a great thing.

Jerry