On December 5th, 2025, our community came together to celebrate the season at the WaterFire Providence Festival of Trees Installation at the Holiday Basin Lighting. And thanks to all of you, it was a night overflowing with light and holiday magic.
This year’s installation featured 20 beautifully decorated trees donated by Stanley Tree, with our heartfelt gratitude to our Title Sponsor, Parsons Capital Management, for making this celebration possible.
We are also deeply thankful for the support of our individual tree sponsors: KPMG, Starkweather & Shepley Insurance, Thomas and Antonia Bryson, Gregory A. Bologna and Jeanine M. Palumbo, Rob Burton, Cross Insurance, Greenwood Industries, and PriceRite.
Because of their kindness, each tree was gifted to a family in need, complete with a matched PriceRite gift card so that families could enjoy a holiday meal together.
Ornaments for the tree were handmade and decorated from three local schools which included Miss. McDonough’s Pre-Kindergarten class at Immaculate Conception Regional Catholic School, Miss. Evan’s Multilingual learners at Greenwood Elementary School and Miss. Desrochers’ Fourth Grade class at Woodridge Elementary School. We thank the students for their hard work on these precious and festive ornaments.
The evening was filled with holiday joy at every turn. Visitors explored an Arts Market in the Basin Tunnel, enjoyed festive caroling by Providence College’s A cappella groups, and were enchanted by a special appearance from The Nutcracker and The Rat King from Ballet RI. On the river, Cirque De Light dazzled audiences from the bow of the boats, and Santa Claus made an appearance on a boat to light up the Snow Ball in the middle of the Basin.
We were also thrilled to have a vibrant Makers Market, co-hosted by Track15 and RI Night Market, adjacent to the Basin Tunnel, showcasing Rhode Island’s incredible community of local artists and small businesses.
To every sponsor, maker, performer, volunteer, staff member, and guest: thank you. Your enthusiasm helped create an evening that captured the spirit of the season and the heart of WaterFire’s mission: bringing people together through art, light, and shared joy.
From all of us at WaterFire Providence: Happy Holidays! We wish you warmth, cheer, and a bright start to the new year. We can’t wait to see you again in 2026!
About the author
Caitlin McDonough, Brand Strategy Coordinator, has been a force at WaterFire since starting over four years ago. Being a life-long Rhode Islander has shaped her view on all things Providence and the growth of the arts community which brought her to WaterFire. Focusing on social media, videography, marketing and merchandise - her expertise in these areas has helped strengthened WaterFire's voice and brand across platforms.
