Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

This page is updated continuously with new information.

Please check back frequently!   

 

Tonight’s lighting is brought to you by

Cox Business

& 

Amica Insurance

 

**Cox Carnations!**

Beginning at 8PM, Cox representatives and mime artist Michael Grando will be handing out gifts of carnations adorned with inspirational quotes and details about great prizes, including free Cox Services!

 

Sovereign Plaza Ballroom presents a night of SWING with music and dance performances! 

 

*Amica’s Annual Venetian Carnevale at WaterFire!*

Come help create a very magical night with AMICA!  Your $3 on-site donation at one of the Amica tables entitles you to a fabulous Carnevale mask and will benefit both WaterFire and Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island.  Buy a Mask - Buy a Meal.  

A special congratulations to the winners of AMICA’s "Many Faces of Hunger" essay contest: Alexandra Puleo of Smithfield, RI & John MacLure of Lunenburg, MA.  Thank you to all who participated!

 

The fires will be lit shortly after sunset at 7:38 PM and remain lit until 12:30 AM.    

Weather Updates: 

(Updated: 8/22/09 9:35 AM):  WaterFire goes on as planned!  While there may be a few passing showers/thunderstorms today, and we’re not quite sure what Bill’s going to do, the forecast looks as though the major rains will hold off.  Come on down, bring your umbrellas just in case, and get ready to enjoy the beauty of WaterFire in a whole new way. 

We need everyone to donate…

Your support keeps us going.  We are asking everyone to make a donation at a WaterFire Ambassador station.  We will give you a glowing blue necklace so that you can add your light to the night! Donate $20 or more and receive a special RED glow necklace! 

(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). 

See what surprises await for a gift of $100 or more!

        

WaterFire Luminaria Tributes:

Do you have a special wish, dedication, and/or remembrance you would like to make at WaterFire? Please visit one of our luminaria stations to have a luminaria paper lantern lit to commemorate a loved one, a hope, a dream, or simply to honor your visit to WaterFire. 

For a $5 donation, a WaterFire volunteer will light your candle lantern and lead you into the park to place it in a special spot so you can share your light and your tribute with the world.  Click here for more information!   

Starry, Starry Night!

Barnaby Evans and WaterFire Providence have unveiled the most "stellar"project to date — one that asks you to dream big and share your wish with with the world.  A wish for peace; a wish for love; a wish for grace; whatever your wish may be, come and share it at WaterFire and help us create a spectacle in the sky.

One hundred luminous blue stars will be suspended in the triangluar grove of trees in Memorial Park next to Hemenway’s restaurant.  Add your light to the night by writing your wish on a ribbon and attaching it to your own star and hanging it in the constellation overhead for a $20 donation.  You can take a beautiful star - and the magic of WaterFire - home with you for an additional $20 donation.  Please join us by making a wish and adding your light to the night.

WaterFire is a celebration of community and we are dedicated to inspiring the city of Providence.  Our wish is that with your support, we can make many more wishes come true.

**Note:  Starry, Starry Night is weather dependent and the Star Field will not be on display if the forcast calls for rain.  However, we will be offering stars for you to take home in exchange for your donations, so please come by this area of the park to take the magic of WaterFire with you when you leave.      

The Music of 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 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 which lists the  artists’ names, the CD titles, and the exact start time of each piece.  Please pick one up at the Ribbons of Light station, where you can also make a donation to Keep the Fires Burning!  (The programs cost us about $3 to print.) 

Click here for more about the Music of WaterFire and information regarding how to send us your suggestions and inquiries!

RiverWalk: Before the Fires are Lit

Discover the winding history and continued importance of Providence’s rivers! Urban outdoor sculpture and beautiful civic and commercial buildings of varied architectual styles provide the setting for stories of Providence’s fabled past and dynamic present.  This walk shares the history of Rhode Island’s capital city and the history of WaterFire. $10 per person. Reservations requested: Dalila Goulart @ 401.331.8575 x45 or programs@rihs.org. Tours last 60 minutes and depart at 5:30 p.m. from the John Brown House Museum on 52 Power Street, Providence.

WaterFire Gargoyles!

Discover the Gargoyles at the WWI monument in Memorial Park near College Street and South Main Street. The Gargoyles are the creation of Ten31 Productions in Providence.

Mime Artist Michael Grando!

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 starting at 8:30 PM and continuing throughout the evening. Each flower is accompanied by a different quote that illuminates the connections between life and art.

FIRE DANCERS: Mike and Melissa

 

Andrew Anselmo: "The Origami Guy" in Market Square!

For years, Mr. Anselmo has brought his origami paper creations including frogs, cranes, penguins and many more to the streets of Providence to the delight of thousands.  He will be located at the corner of Market Square next to the RISD Auditorium, between South Main Street and the river.    

  

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!

 

Please visit this page often as the evening gets closer! 

We will be filling it with exciting updates and great tips & information!