Thank you to our 2023 WaterFire Season Supporters for helping to keep the fires burning.
Join us for the next WaterFire lighting:
2023 WaterFire Season Schedule
Saturday, April 1
Partial lighting, Memorial Park
401Gives Celebration
Supported by United Way of Rhode Island
Sunset (7:10 pm) – 9:30 pm
Wednesday, April 19
Partial lighting, Memorial Park
Strike the Match Season Kick-off &
WaterFire Day #SparkYourAppetite Fundraiser
Sunset (7:30 pm) – 9:30 pm
Saturday, June 3
Supported by Rhode Island School of Design
Full Lighting
Sunset ( 8:15 pm ) – Midnight
Music Program
Sunday, June 18
Supported by The 28th North American Catalysis Society Meeting
Partial Lighting, Waterplace Basin
Sunset ( 8:23 pm ) – 10:30 pm
Saturday, June 24
Supported by Textron Charitable Trust
Full Lighting
Sunset ( 8:24 pm ) – Midnight
July 8, 2023
Supported by Dunkin’
Full Lighting
Sunset (8:22 pm) – Midnight
Friday, July 14
Supported by Check the Stigma Hockey Classic to benefit Horizon Healthcare Partners
Partial Lighting, Waterplace Basin
Sunset ( 8:19 pm ) – 10:30 pm
Saturday, July 22
Supported by Amica Insurance & Bank of America
Full Lighting
Sunset ( 8:13 pm ) – Midnight
Saturday, August 19
Supported by Cox Business & Cox Media
Clear Currents Fire Community Paddling Night
Full Lighting
Sunset ( 7:40 pm ) – Midnight
Saturday, September 2
Labor Day Weekend
Partial Lighting
Sunset ( 7:17 pm ) – 11:00 pm
Saturday, September 9
Supported by Providence Tourism Council, Fidelity Investments, PVDFest, & FirstWorks
Full Lighting, PVDFest
Sunset ( 7:05 pm ) – Midnight
Saturday, September 30
Supported by Rhode Island Department of Education, XQ Institute, Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, Parsons Capital Management
Full Lighting
Sunset ( 6:29 pm ) – 11:00 pm
Saturday, November 4
Supported by Rhode Island Energy
Full Lighting, WaterFire’s Salute to Veterans
Sunset ( 5:36 pm ) – 10:00 pm
This page is the most up-to-date event schedule resource.
- Subscribe to the 2023 WaterFire Season Schedule (iCal) (coming soon!)
- Download a printable version of our 2023 Season Schedule (PDF)
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Celebrate at WaterFire
Proposals, anniversaries, date nights. Make memories at WaterFire.
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Thanks to our 2023 WaterFire Season Supporters
WaterFire Providence would like to thank our 2022 WaterFire Season Supporters for their ongoing support: State of Rhode Island, Governor Daniel J. McKee; Rhode Island Commerce; The City of Providence, Mayor Brett P. Smiley; The Providence City Council; The Rhode Island General Assembly; Dunkin’; Providence Tourism Council; PVDFest & FirstWorks; Rhode Island Energy; The 28th North American Catalysis Society Meeting; Bank Newport; Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation; Cox Business; Check the Stigma Hockey Classic hosted Horizon Healthcare Partners; Amica; Rhode Island School of Design; Fidelity Investments; Textron Charitable Trust; Bank of America; United Way of Rhode Island; Rhode Island Department of Education; XQ Institute; Rhode Island State Council of the Arts; Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau; Cox Media; Rhode Island Monthly; WPRI 12 & FOX Providence & The Rhode Show; Cumulus Media; iHeartMedia, Inc.; The Providence Journal; IGT; JP Morgan Chase & Co.; Gooseneck Vineyards; United Site Services Northeast; Stanley Tree Service, Inc.; AJT Supplies; Fire Works Catering; McLaughlin & Moran, Inc.; Dan’s Management Company a Dunkin’ Franchisee; Let’s Roam.
All Full WaterFire lightings light up over eighty braziers from Waterplace Park to Memorial/South Main Street Park on scheduled evenings throughout the season. Lighting occurs shortly after sunset and the fires will remain lit until midnight (unless otherwise noted).
Basin Lightings include the circle of twenty-two braziers in the Waterplace Park Basin and the five braziers leading up to the Providence Place Mall.
Partial Lightings can include braziers in any section of the river. Partial lightings typically encompass only one section of the river but may include more than one.
As support and sponsorships develop, WaterFire will announce additional lightings and programming – check back for updates here and on our Facebook page and Twitter account.
You can help us keep the fires burning by making a donation to keep the fires burning, joining the Brazier Society of WaterFire Providence, or becoming a WaterFire Sponsor.
WaterFire Providence’s Plan Your Trip to Providence web page is the #1 resource for up-to-date details about the event, transportation, parking, hotels, restaurants, and other local attractions.
Each year WaterFire attracts nearly 1 million visitors to downtown Providence to experience art in the city. Annually, WaterFire activity creates $149 million in economic output for local businesses, generates over $9 million of tax revenue for the State of Rhode Island, and supports 1,294 jobs for community residents.
Fire marshal regulations do not permit folding chairs to be set up on any of the riverwalks to assure safe passage for all of our visitors. WaterFire is an event to be explored and savored on foot as you wander around to discover its many surprises, leave your chairs in the car, and start exploring all that our event has to offer.
I can’t believe that there is no WaterFire on Memorial Day Weekend. For almost 40 years we had our anniversary dinner at Capriccio’s and then enjoyed a stroll around WaterFire. There is always a huge crowd since it’s not only a holiday weekend but it’s also Brown Commencement Weekend.
Hi Sadie,
Times do change and WaterFire changes with the times. We’re only really able to product our large-scale “Full WaterFire” lightings when we have direct financial support for each specific date. Consequently as funding streams have changed from year to year so has our schedule. We haven’t had a Memorial Day lighting since 2018. While Brown continues to be an active supporter they are concentrating on sponsoring WaterFire events in September. WaterFire or not, a night out in Providence and dinner at Capriccio’s is guaranteed to be a good time. Hope you have nice night this year for your anniversary. Our next event and first full lighting of the season will be on June 3rd.
All the best, Tim