Friday, December 5th (Basin Lighting)
Event Details
Friday, December 5th
Basin lighting
Lighting 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Onshore programming and vendors open at 4:00 pm
Sponsored By:
Performers
- Providence College Acapella Club will be performing holiday hits around the basin from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- The Nutcracker and Rat King from Ballet RI will be arriving by boat at 7:00 p.m. to perform the fight scene from The Nutcracker on the Basin Stage. Following the performance, there will be a meet and greet until 8:15 p.m.
- Cirque De Light will perform on the bows of the wood boats throughout the basin at 6:30, 7:45, and 8:30 p.m.
Food Vendors in front of the IGT Building:
Canned Soup Drive in the Basin Tunnel:
Hosted by Feed RI, guests are encouraged to bring non-expired canned soup to the event to fill collection bins for donation to local families this holiday season. The collection site will be located in the Basin Tunnel from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Track15 and the RI Night Market‘s Co-Hosted makers market in Track15’s outdoor plaza and throughout the basin tunnel:
Cici and The Moon, Indigenous Ingredients, Forget Me Not Fables, My Barking Boys, Jade’s Jems, Pawvidence Treat Trading Co., In A Snap, Herbs and Mylk, Black Leaf Tea, Pao-PoW’s Mania, J9Designlab, Burke’s Martial Arts, Lazy K Ranch, Emily Says Good Morning, Crochet With Emily, Paul and Sandy’s Honey Shack, and Light of Hope.
WaterFire Providence announces a Basin Lighting on Friday, December 5, 2025, supported by GoProvidence. The fires in the Basin of Waterplace Park area will be lit at 6:30 p.m. and will burn until 9:00 p.m. Onshore programming will begin at 4:00 p.m. surrounding the Basin of Waterplace Park.
“WaterFire is one of Providence’s most beloved traditions, and we’re proud to support this special holiday lighting,” said Kristen Adamo, President & CEO of GoProvidence. “We encourage everyone to come experience the magic of the city during the season – shop local, dine out, and enjoy all that Providence has to offer.”
From 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Track15 and the RI Night Market are co-hosting a makers market in Track15’s outdoor plaza and through the tunnel adjacent to the basin at WaterFire. Vendors include Cici and The Moon, Indigenous Ingredients, Forget Me Not Fables, My Barking Boys, Jade’s Jems, Pawvidence Treat Trading Co., In A Snap, Herbs and Mylk, Black Leaf Tea, Pao-PoW’s Mania, J9Designlab, Burke’s Martial Arts, Lazy K Ranch, Emily Says Good Morning, Crochet With Emily, Paul and Sandy’s Honey Shack, and Light of Hope. Guests can also take a tag off of the giving tree hosted by Track 15 in partnership with Children’s Friend. All gifts can be returned to Track 15 after the event.
WaterFire Providence will offer an array of unique holiday gifts, available on both sides of the basin from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. These items, featuring a distinctive WaterFire flair, are crafted by local vendors. The selection includes limited edition collections from Bad Taste, Frog and Toad, Aster Candle, Parched, Sophie Foulkes, DesignWhatHaveYou, Gather Glass, and more.
The lighting will include a canned soup drive, hosted by Feed RI. Guests are encouraged to bring non-expired canned soup to the event to fill collection bins for donation to local families this holiday season. The collection site will be located in the Basin Tunnel from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
From 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Carolers from Providence College Acapella Club will be performing holiday hits around the basin.
In front of the IGT building from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Rise & Grind Coffee will be serving up drinks.
This year, the Festival of Trees presented by Parsons Capital Management returns to the basin, inviting guests to stroll through 20 holiday trees donated by Stanley Tree Service. Following the lighting, Stanley Tree Service will donate the trees to local families in need this holiday season. Sponsorship includes the cost of tree décor and a $100 grocery gift card to cover the expense of a holiday meal for the receiving family. PriceRite will be matching the $100 gift cards for each family.
Sponsorship opportunities for trees are available; interested parties may contact Kellie Martin at kellie@waterfire.org.
We would like to express our gratitude to the current sponsors of the Festival of Trees for their generous support this holiday season: Cross Insurance, KPMG, Starkweather and Shepley, Greenwood Industries, Tom and Antonia Bryson, Rob Burton, Jeanine M. Palumbo and Gregory A. Bologna.
Santa’s Village
Santa and his elves will be arriving by boat at 6:45 p.m. Guests can visit Santa’s village for a photo at the bottom of the steps in the basin. Photos are free, bring your own camera, and first-come, first-served. Donations are encouraged. We thank you for your support this holiday season.
The Nutcracker and Rat King from Ballet RI will be arriving by boat at 7:00 p.m. to perform the fight scene from The Nutcracker on the Basin Stage. Following the performance, there will be a meet and greet until 8:15 p.m.
Cirque De Light will perform on the bows of the wood boats throughout the basin at 6:30, 7:45, and 8:30 p.m.
The Downtown Providence Parks Network will be in the basin from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., hosting roaming entertainment, a treat and beverage giveaways, and crafts for the whole family.
For more information on what’s happening downtown during the PVD Holiday Festival, check out pvdholidayfest.org
Organizer
