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2016 WaterFire Providence Event Schedule

Starry, Starry Night, photograph by John Nickerson.
Starry, Starry Night, photograph by John Nickerson.

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Our 2016 Season has reached its end, thank you to all who made this season a success. We are already hard at work planning for the 2017 season. Updates and news will be posted here on our website and on our Facebook page. In the meantime you can make a donation to help keep the fires burning.

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WaterFire Providence would like to thank all of our 2016 sponsors, their ongoing support has helped to light up Downtown Providence once again.

2016 Schedule of WaterFire Providence Lightings

Get a printable version of the 2016 WaterFire Providence Season Schedule. This document will be updated as new events are added to the schedule.

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All Full WaterFire installations light up over eighty braziers from Waterplace Park to Memorial/South Main Street Park on the below scheduled evenings. Lighting occurs shortly after sunset and the event continues until half past midnight.

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Basin lightings include the circle of twenty-two braziers in the Waterplace Park Basin and the twelve braziers leading up to the Providence Place mall. Partial lightings usually include all of the braziers from Providence Place Mall to Steeple Street.

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More details for each event will posted here as they become available.

Friday, March 18th
Basin Lighting – Sunset Time: 6:56 p.m.
Slam Dunk WaterFire – Sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts
Event Details | Music Program

Saturday, May 21st
Basin Lighting – Sunset: 8:05 p.m.
Sponsored by The MET High School, Celebrating 20 Years
Event Details | Music Program

Saturday, May 28th
Full Lighting – Sunset: 8:11 p.m.
Sponsored by Bank of America
Event Details | Music Program

Saturday, June 18th
Full Lighting – Sunset: 8:24 p.m.
Sponsored by CVS Health Charity Classic and The Providence Journal
Event Details | Music Program

Saturday, July 9th
Clear Currents Paddle at WaterFire
Full Lighting – Sunset: 8:22 p.m.
Sponsored by Amica Insurance with the generous support of the Textron Charitable Trust
Event Details | Music Program

Saturday, July 23rd
Full Lighting – Sunset: 8:12 p.m.
Sponsored by Cox Business
Event Details | Music Program

Saturday, August 6th – C is for Cure: A WaterFire Lighting for RI Defeats Hep C
Full Lighting – Sunset: 7:59 p.m.
Sponsored by HepCHope.com
Event Details | Music Program

For the third year in a row WaterFire Providence is partnering up with RI Defeats Hep C for the “C is for Cure” event. The evening will be full of activity as they work to encourage discussion about a formerly taboo now completely curable disease; helping to eradicate hepatitis C in Rhode Island.

Saturday, August 20th
Clear Currents: Paddle Night at WaterFire
Full Lighting – Sunset 7:37 p.m.
Sponsored by Fidelity Investments and National Grid
Event Details | Music Program

Sunday, September 4th
Full Lighting – Sunset 7:15 p.m.
Sponsored by the Providence Tourism Council
Event Details | Music Program

Saturday, September 24th
Full Lighting – Sunset 6:38 p.m.
Sponsored by the Confucius Institute & US-China Institute at Bryant University and Nortek
Event Details | Music Program

Chinese Culture Night at WaterFire – The US-China Institute and the Confucius Institute at Bryant University will be hosting interactive displays on Steeple Street all evening long!

Also join WaterFire Providence and the RI Department of Education in recognizing the excellent educators in our community at the Salute to Rhode Island Educators brought to you by Nortek. Enjoy exhibitions showcasing a wide variety of creative and innovative approaches in education happening in RI.

Saturday, October 1stFlames of Hope: A Celebration of Life™
Full Lighting – Sunset: 6:26 p.m.
Sponsored by Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation and Lifetime Medical
Event Details | Music Program

The Flames of Hope: A Celebration of Life™ event includes educational and awareness activities for survivors and their families from the afternoon into the evening in Station Park. Kicking off the evening portion of the event will be the Illuminations of Life tribute on the steps of the State House followed by a procession of torch bearers walking down to Waterplace Basin which will include performances and the lighting of the braziers.

Saturday, November 5thWaterFire Salute to Veterans
Full Lighting – Sunset: 5:34 p.m.
Event Details | Music Program

For this incredibly important event the community comes together to recognize the service and sacrifice of the men and women that have served in America’s military. WaterFire Providence looks forward to celebrating and thanking our veterans at the 4th Annual WaterFire Salute to Veterans event which will include a Veterans Resource Fair, ceremonies and tributes throughout the night.

Thursday, November 17th – FireBall*
The stellar celebration at the future home of WaterFire Providence!
5:30 – 11:00 p.m. at the WaterFire Arts Center

* The FireBall is our annual fundraiser. This is not a WaterFire lighting, but it still a lot of fun. Get your tickets today!

The WaterFire Arts Festival Plaza will return to Washington Street for most full lightings with local artists presenting and selling their work.  Food vendors will be located on Washington, College and Steeple Streets and National Grid will be providing charging stations for the public to use to power up their mobile devices for free throughout the installation again this year. Visitors can pick up a brochure/map in many local hotels or at the event at one of WaterFire Providence’s guest greeter stations or at the WaterFire Store on Canal Street that lists all events and activities throughout the day and evening.

Fire marshal regulations do not permit folding chairs to by set up on any of the river walks 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 you chairs in the car and start exploring all that our event has to offer.

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As sponsorship develops, WaterFire will announce  additional lightings and programming – watch for updates here and on our Facebook page and Twitter account.

WaterFire Providence is still actively seeking sponsors to add additional lightings in the 2016 season with potential open dates including September 3rd, September 17th and October 15th.

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 by becoming a WaterFire Providence sponsor.

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WaterFire Providence’s Plan Your Trip to Providence webpage is the #1 resource for up-to-date details about the event, transportation, parking, hotels, restaurants and other local attractions. Ignite Providence is a WaterFire curated website presenting activities and events in and around Providence on WaterFire weekends that helps visitors explore a longer stay in the Creative Capital.

Each year WaterFire attracts nearly 1 million visitors to downtown Providence to experience art in the city. Annually, WaterFire activity creates $113 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.

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