WaterFire facts for kids
WaterFire is a unique art display created by Barnaby Evans. It takes place on the rivers in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. This amazing art show first started in 1994. It was a special event to celebrate the tenth anniversary of First Night Providence. Since then, it has become a free public art show that many people enjoy.
During a WaterFire evening, you will see eighty-six burning fire baskets, called braziers. Each brazier holds about 33 pieces of wood. Some of these braziers float on the rivers. These rivers include the Woonasquatucket River in Waterplace Park and the Moshassuck and Providence rivers in the city center. Other braziers are placed on old bridge piers.
Many people come to see WaterFire. On average, about 40,000 people attend each night. This number can range from 10,000 to 100,000 visitors. WaterFire usually happens from May through November. The lightings are often on Saturday evenings, once or twice a month. The rivers have tides, so the events are planned to happen when the sun sets and the tide is coming in.
What is WaterFire Providence?
WaterFire Providence is a special non-profit organization. It is responsible for putting on the WaterFire art show. This group has about 15 staff members. They also get a lot of help from volunteers to make WaterFire happen. On any given night, up to 160 volunteers help with the show.
The Story of WaterFire
Barnaby Evans created the very first WaterFire on New Year's Eve in 1994. He called it First Fire. It was part of the tenth annual First Night Providence celebration. First Fire had 11 braziers on steel stands. They stretched from WaterPlace Basin to Steeple Street. In June 1996, Barnaby created Second Fire. This was for the Convergence Art Festival and the International Sculpture Conference.
With the help of many volunteers, WaterFire became a regular event each season. More and more people in the region heard about WaterFire. Soon, a big effort began to raise money for the project. In 1997, WaterFire grew to include 42 braziers. About 350,000 people were estimated to have seen it that season. Barnaby Evans received an award for helping to make downtown Providence better. WaterFire became a symbol of the city's new life.
For the 1998 show, WaterFire expanded even more. It included 81 fires. The fires reached up the Moshassuck River and into the basin at Waterplace Park. WaterFire is now known all over the country and even around the world. It has been featured on PBS and in newspapers like The Washington Post and The New York Times. Because of its growing fame, WaterFire-inspired shows created by Barnaby Evans have also taken place in other cities. These include Rome and Singapore, as well as other cities in the United States.
WaterFire in Other Places
WaterFire has been set up in several other cities around the world:
- In June 1998, Barnaby Evans brought WaterFire to Houston, Texas. It was on the Buffalo Bayou.
- In July 2005, Barnaby Evans designed a WaterFire show in Columbus, Ohio. It was called WaterFire Columbus.
- In 2007, Barnaby Evans created a new show in Kansas City, Missouri. It was on Brush Creek near Country Club Plaza.
- On September 24 and 25, 2011, Barnaby Evans installed WaterFire in Singapore. A special electronic flame from Singapore was sent to Providence to light WaterFire there. The next day, a flame from Providence was sent to Singapore to light their WaterFire.
- On September 21 and 22, 2012, Barnaby Evans installed WaterFire in Rome, Italy. It was on the Tiber River.
- In August 2013, Barnaby Evans designed a WaterFire show in Sharon, Pennsylvania. It was on the Shenango River and called WaterFire Sharon.
Gallery
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The August 31st, 2024 lighting
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Another view of the August 31, 2024 lighting
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The bonfires as seen from the water during the June 13, 2015 lighting
