By JOSHUA THOMAS

C-S-E Editor

FORT PLAIN — The annual tri-village Last Night extravaganza — this year’s being the sixth annual — held Monday in Fort Plain for the second time since its inception in 2007, continued to grow and attract a substantial crowd.

400 buttons were sold, the shuttle bus providing passage between events scheduled throughout the village was busy all evening, and Fort Plain Community Activity Council Events Coordinator James Katovitch noted that the event was successful in expanding the range of attendees, drawing out young members of the community.

Katovitch said that the FPCAC was excited to see attendance by a large crowd of village teenagers, many of which participated in a broom hockey game at the Fort Plain Fire Station before watching The Dependents play inside. “They seemed to have a really good time,” said Katovitch of the teens.

Beginning at 4 p.m. and continuing through midnight, events took place at over a dozen village venues, with 200 — about half of the event’s attendees — gathering beneath the village clock tower for a countdown at midnight. Burn barrels were set up to keep the crowd warm as they waited for the year to conclude, which was signaled by the lowering of a mayan sun replica, created by a Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School technology class, under the direction of Ken Frank.

The mayan sun, said Katovitch, perfectly represented the event’s theme, “It’s Not the End of the World, but a New Beginning”, highlighting the fact that even though the world didn’t end Dec. 21 as some predicted, 2013 still has the power to provide new beginnings.

Planning for Monday evening’s expansive festivities began after the 4th on the 3rd event wrapped up, as Katovitch said a lot of groundwork must be completed early on. Although planning is massively important in creating a tight schedule and securing beloved bands and performers, Katovitch noted that all the planning in the world can’t contend with a nasty weather forecast.

“This event is so weather dependent,” said Katovitch, explaining that a scheduled adult beer tent was cancelled after it was learned that temperatures would drop into the teens. While the weather was milder than initially predicted, it still came into play, as large quantities of snow sometimes reduced venue parking and shuttle bus accessibility, including at the Fort Plain Museum, which hosted a well-attended performance by Stone Soup.

The cold was also a consideration at Unity Hall, which hosted numerous performers Monday evening. While it was see-your-breath cold in the sanctuary, there were heat lamps set up to warm concertgoers, though the light filtering in through the stained glass windows, creating majestic shadows across every surface, provided a different kind of warmth, taking attendees’ minds off the cold while they took in their astounding surroundings.

While the FPCAC annually covers entertainment costs with funds it raises during 4th on the 3rd and Street Fair Days, they also received grant funding this year from  the New York State Council on the Arts, which required a completed application almost one year prior to Monday’s event. The $800 grant “goes a long way,” said Katovitch, explaining that it paid for two of the event’s bands.

“Everybody is so excited, and so happy, that the people came out to support us,” said Katovitch of the FPCAC, continuing, “It shows the people in our organization that people in the community really look forward to this celebration.” It’s the people who attend, said Katovitch, that make the event not only successful, but unique and fun, and the FPCAC appreciates all those who “braved the cold, for showing up and making the event what it is.”

More photos in the Seen section.