This WaterFire lighting

is brought to you by

Working Rhode Island

Working Rhode Island offers this lighting of WaterFire on Labor Day each year in proud salute for all the contributions of the laborers of our state.

WaterFire Providence is presented on the three rivers in downtown Providence and will be lit shortly after sunset at 7:22 pm and remains lit until 12:30 pm.    

Weather Updates: 

(Updated on 8/30/08;  9:30 am)  WaterFire is going ahead as planned!  WaterFire tries to continue unless a major storm arrives.  There is currently a light intermittenent shower in Providence that we anticipate will clear by 11:00 am. Current forecasts are calling for a 30% chance of possible passing thunder showers in the late afternoon/evening around 6:30 to 8:00,  most likely just before lighting, and then a clear night.  The odds are well in our favor!  Even if we see a passing storm they tend to be short.  Bring an umbrella if you want to make sure it doesn’t rain.  Please check back here for regular updates on both weather and special events for this evening as the evening comes closer. 

The Ribbons of Light Program:

WaterFire volunteers will be giving out gifts of glowing blue Ribbons of Light in exchange for donations to support WaterFire.  WaterFire is an independent non-profit and your contribution is what Keeps the Fires Burning.  The volunteers are located along the river at stations marked by illuminated blue columns. Please make a donation to support WaterFire and keep the fires burning. Donations of $3, $5, $10 or more are much appreciated and allow us to keep offering this event for free.  All proceeds go to support WaterFire.  By wearing a glowing blue necklace you will become a part of the artwork and create a river of soft blue light flowing alongside the riverbanks.

Thank you for coming to WaterFire and thank you for your support!  Please realize that the commercial novelty vendors outside the park are not affiliated with WaterFire and your purchase there does not support WaterFire.  Further, many of those who attend WaterFire find the flashing, and strobing novelties they sell are disruptive and distracting and ruin the calm of the WaterFire evening. 

The Sopranos Return to WaterFire!

Once again WaterFire is proud to partner with Opera Providence and Timothy Steele, Opera Providence Music Director, to bring the sopranos back to WaterFire for another stupendous evening of opera along the river.  Starting at 7:44 we will feature over 40 gifted sopranos and tenors who will perform live opera in the middle of downtown amidst the flames of WaterFire.   

 

This evening is made possible through the generous sponsorship of:

 

Frank Champi from Lefkowitz, Garfinkel, Champi & DeRienzo

  - Certified Public Accountants/Business Consultants

Danella’s Restaurant - 322 Atwells Avenue

Ocean State Learning

Dr. Robert and Nanci DeRobbio

Ed and Joyce Swirka

Andy Connolly and Sylvia Bernal

Charles and Cynthia Hewitt

Opera Providence 

Joseph and Sallie Pisaturo

 

Opera Providence is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to engaging and inspiring audiences through opera - the ultimate theatrical experience of music.

 

 

 

 

For more information about the Opera Providence mission and their  upcoming programs, please visit http://www.operaprovidence.org

There will be additional information about Opera Providence at the Market Square recital.

  

We are honored to feature the following singers in this evening’s program and sincerely thank them for sharing their talents with us: 

Julius Ahn

Zhanna Alkhazova

Aneta Augustyn

Kimberly Ayers

Linda Barbieri

Michael Belle

Emily Bieber

Zach Borichevsky

Emily Burr

Sarah Callinan

Laura Cervinsky Delaney

Ben Davidson

Christina DeVaughn

Neal Ferreira

Christie Gibson

Rebecca Grimes

Gabriel Gunsberg

Jennifer Hoffmann

Erin Holmes

Adrian Jones

Noune Karapetian

Anne-Louise Klaus

Jonelyn Langenstein

Olga Lisovskaya

Stephanie Mann

Sarah Mawn

Joshua May

Catherine O’Rourke 

Kynesha Patterson Shaw

Natalie Polito

John Paul Putney

Emily Quane

Jeanai Ratcliffe

Fred Scheff

Rachele Schmiege

Dana Schnitzer

Kim Soby

Rebecca Teeters

Patrice Tiedemann

Michelle Trainor

Martha Warren

 

 

At 9:45 pm or so you are invited to hear all of the singers when they gather at Market Square for a free recital of 40 operatic arias! Tim Steele of Opera Providence will provide the piano accompaniment. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear some fine singing and meet the next generation of young singers.

The Low Anthem debuts its newest CD:

Providence based band, The Low Anthem will release its second CD "Oh My God, Charlie Darwin" on September 5th at Providence’s Firehouse 13. 41 Central Street.  Hear featured tonight at WaterFire the gorgeous haunting first track of their forth coming CD, "Charlie Darwin" (to be played at 7:52; lyrics) and their second track "To Ohio" (to be played 8:03).  The Low Anthem features Ben Knox Miller, Jeffrey Prystowsky, and Jocie Adams in the new Americana folk indie tradition, The New Folk Movement.  We wish them well.  "Charlie Darwin" can be heard by clicking here.   

Presenting Cafe Vivace! For your dining and drinking pleasure:

WaterFire is pleased to present our new outdoor beer and wine garden Cafe Vivace, just off College Street between the River and North Main Street.

Presented in partnership with Parkside Grille and Rotisserie on South Main Street, this new venue is nestled under the large oak trees just beside the historic Market House building.  Enter from College Street.  Cold beer in the park, hard lemonade beneath the trees, and fine wines by the glass, along with Parkside’s famous Neopolitan-style grilled Margarita pizza and other specialties, including their famous all-beef Hot Diggity Dogs and Ozzie’s grilled steak burgers.  Also on College Street are hand-made French desert crepes, spicy Indian food from Taste of India, ocean fresh seafood at the Raw Bar, exquisite, award-winnng hand-made pastries from Pastry Gourmet of the East Side, and more!

WaterFire brochure & music program:

WaterFire prints a wonderful 48-page program that is full of photographs, and essays and information about WaterFire, the artists, and upcoming events.  It is available for a donation from the Ribbons of Light stations marked by the illuminated blue columns of light.  Please see the volunteers at the stations for a printed program.  The program also has a complete listing of all the music featured for this evening.

The music at WaterFire:

WaterFire offers a new and unusual program of music each night  that is curated by Barnaby Evans from sources all around the world.  The music programs vary each night and we always offer something entirely new.  The music is likely not something you have heard before and we hope you discover something new and wonderful. 

WaterFire prints a detailed music program for all full lightings (and often for partial lightings too).  The program lists all the music including the  artists’ names, the CD titles, and the exact start time of each piece.  We urge you to support these artists by buying their work and sharing your interest in them with others. 

Please pick up a complete music program from a WaterFire volunteer at the Ribbons of Light stations illuminated by blue balloon sculptures. (Please make a donation to Keep the Fires Burning!  The programs cost us about $3 to print.)

Barnaby is always interested in hearing new music or in getting suggestions and you can email him about the music at music@waterfire.org.  Artists are always welcome to send new material to WaterFire for consideration at WaterFire Providence, 101 Regent Avenue #12, Providence, RI 02908.  Please realize that we cannot afford to return the material to you and it may be some time before we get to it. 

The WaterFire cranes!

Two weeks ago was our annual celebration where we introduced this year’s 2008 origami crane design.  Nearly 7000 hand-folded origami cranes were given away as gifts in partnership with our sponsor Fidelity Investments.  A few will be available tonight for those who missed them from the volunteers at the Ribbons of Light stations. The origami crane is a symbol of peace and fidelity and are folded by the employees of Fidelity Investments in partnership with WaterFire as a gift to the entire community.

In commemoration of this annual event we are once again offering WaterFire’s special collectable porcelain origami cranes for sale.  The cranes are hand-made of traditional green celadon porcelain and each come in a fun special gift package with an explanatory booklet about WaterFire.  The cranes are available for $10 each at the WaterFire sales table in front of the RISD Auditorium (between Washington and College Street along the river).  They may also be ordered from WaterFire at (401) 273-1155, ext 141. The proceeds all go to support WaterFire.

Light Luminaria Candle Lanterns for Good Luck

Light your own luminaria candle lantern and participate in WaterFire by adding your light to the Renassiance City!

WaterFire invites you to dedicate your Luminaria paper lantern with a commemoration, a dedication, a wish, a rememberance, your name, or the reason for your visit to WaterFire. You will light your candle lantern and be led into the park where you will place it in a special spot. All the dedication cards are saved and preserved in a book at WaterFire.

The candle lanterns are available for a donation to WaterFire.  Please give what you can.  We suggest a donation of $10 per candle.

By lighting a lantern you will become directly involved in the event in a memorable and special way and you will join the ranks of those who support WaterFire.

We the People:

We the People  of Rhode Island Freedom of Speech TV show will visit WaterFire on August 30th.  This is a local cable televison show designed to give citizens the opportunity to directly express themselves on any topic.  While standing in front of the US Constitution express yourself through song, poetry, spoken word, or comedy.  Whatever it takes to get your message across.  The cameras will be set up on the lawn at Station Park on Finance Way, across Finance Way from Waterplace Restaurant and across Francis Street from Joe’s American Grill at Providence Place.  This near the top of the stairs leading up from the stage at Waterplace Basin.  There is no charge for this event. 

WaterFire walking tours of Historical Providence:

5:30PM - 6:30PM Walking Tour of Historical Providence presented by the RI Historical Society. Tour starts at the John Brown House at 52 Power Street. Tickets are $10/person. Reservations are strongly encouraged at 401.273.7507 x62 or bbarnes@rihs.org

WaterFire merchandise:

7:00PM - 10:30PM WaterFire Merchandise Sales Table opens at the RISD auditorium for the night. Purchase WaterFire merchandise such as posters, t-shirts, commemorative hats, and tote bags and help keep the fires burning! A new addition tonight are the special porcelain origami cranes!

WaterFire Gargoyles!

8:40PM-11:00PM Discover the Gargoyles at the WWI monument near College Street and South Main Street. The Gargoyles are the creation of Ten31 Productions in Providence.

Michael Grando portrays Pierrot!

8:30PM - 11:00PM Michael Grando, the noted master mime, will portray Pierrot (Pedrolino) from the Commedia del’arte, in his naive and everlasting quest to win the heart of the beautiful girl. Pierrot will be tossing hundreds of long-stem carnations to the crowd from a boat during the evening. Each flower is accompanied by a different quote that illuminates the connections between life and art.

Spogga spins fire!

8:30PM - 11:00PM Spogga, the WaterFire Fire Dancer, will be performing throughout the park. Spogga has recently released his new DVD featuring his music and his fire performances at WaterFire.