It's the 17th annual celebration of First Night Akron this Monday, December 31st and volunteers are preparing balloon sea creatures that will fill the upper level of the John S. Knight Center.

"I think it's just a great way to get the community together, to really share in celebrating the year and to look forward to the coming year" says an Akron First Night Volunteer.

According to news Channel 5 a 110 foot long whale will also be on display and children will be allowed to walk inside.

Another First Night Volunteer says, "They'll be able to walk inside the whale, kinda get a real feel for the mammoth size of this creature."

First Night Akron is a family-friendly event that is expected to draw nearly 17-18,000 people and the event is also alcohol-free.

This year, ten different indoor venues will be accessible, open from 6pm to midnight. There will also be two different fireworks shows, one at 9pm and another at the stroke of midnight.

"We've got 10 different venues filled with entertainment music, theater, arts and crafts, make and take face painting" says another volunteer.

If you're looking for more information about Akron First Night you can go to http://firstnightakron.org

Read more at NewsNet5.com.