You can travel the globe and never find anything quite like WaterFire. A series of nearly 100 bonfires that seems to magically perch on the three rivers of downtown Providence, WaterFire is actually an art installation, which is just perfect for The Creative Capital. Created by local artist and Brown grad Barnaby Evans, WaterFire has attracted hundreds of thousands of people to Providence every year.
WaterFire is a multisensory spectacle, replete with the comforting aroma of burning wood and the lilting tones of carefully curated music, which amplifies the experience. Street performers, musicians and thousands of attendees add to the enchantment. Best of all, the entire incredible experience is free.
Full lightings wind through the downtown area, while partial lightings are confined to the Waterplace Basin. Fires begin at dusk. There are also two special fires — one in October calling attention to the fight against breast cancer and its survivors, and one in November honoring our nation's veterans.
Here are the dates for the 2019 WaterFire Season:
Full Lightings:
Saturday, June 22
Sunset: 8:24 p.m.
Sponsored in part by Cox Communications
Saturday, July 20
Sunset: 8:16 p.m.
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission to the moon. Sponsored in part by the NASA RI Space Grant Consortium, Brown University and Providence College.
Saturday, August 3
Sunset: 8:02 p.m.
Sponsored in part by AbbVie and Amica Insurance
Saturday, August 17
Sunset: 7:43 p.m.
Sponsored by Virgin Pulse
Saturday, September 14
Sunset 6:57 p.m.
WaterFire for Recovery celebrates the 30th Anniversary of National Recovery Month in partnership with the RI Department of Health, Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals and Department of Corrections.
Saturday, September 28
The 2nd Annual Big Bang Science Fair Presented by Brown University
Sunset: 6:33 p.m.
Celebrating Educational Excellence in Rhode Island in partnership with the RI Department of Education. Sponsored in part by Fidelity Investments
Saturday, October 5
14th Annual Flames of Hope a Celebration of Life™
Sunset: 6:21 p.m.
Sponsored in part by Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation
Saturday, November 2
WaterFire Salute to Veterans
Sunset: 5:39 p.m.
Sponsored in part by National Grid
Basin Lightings:
Thursday, May 23
Sunset 8:07 p.m.
Sponsored in part by the National Association of State Treasurers Treasury Management Training Symposium
Add a little more heat to your WaterFire evening by enjoying one of Providence’s great restaurants and exciting nightlife.
Providence’s signature art festival, PVDFest , returns to the city for its fifth edition from... Learn More ›
