The 2025 WaterFire Season Has Arrived!

We’re thrilled to announce the dates for the 2025 WaterFire Lighting Season — proudly presented with generous support from the Providence Tourism Council and the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.

This year’s season features:

• 6 Full Lightings

• 2 Partial & Basin Lightings

• 4 Starts at Sunset Lightings on the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge

The season kicks off with a Starts at Sunset lighting on Thursday, May 15, and the first full lighting will set the river aglow on Saturday, May 31.

Full Lightings

Saturday, May 31
Supported by: Rhode Island School of Design
Sunset: 8:14 PM | Lighting ends at Midnight
Onshore programming and vendors open at 7:00 PM

Friday, July 4 – Celebrating Independence Day
Supported by: Providence Tourism Council
Sunset: 8:24 PM | Lighting ends at Midnight
Onshore programming and vendors open at 6:30 PM

Saturday, August 9 – Clear Currents Community Paddling Night
Supported by: Amica and Providence Tourism Council
Sunset: 7:54 PM | Lighting ends at Midnight
Onshore programming and vendors open at 6:30 PM

Saturday, September 27 – Celebrating Rhode Island Educators
Supported by the Rhode Island Department of Education and Cox Business.
Sunset: 6:34 PM | Lighting ends at Midnight
Onshore programming and vendors open at 5:30 PM

Saturday, October 4
Supported by: Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation
Sunset: 6:22 PM | Lighting ends at 11:00 PM
Onshore programming and vendors open at 5:30 PM

Saturday, November 1 – 13th Annual Salute to Veterans
Supported by: Rhode Island Energy and Manchester Street Station
Sunset: 5:40 PM | Lighting ends at 10:00 PM
Onshore programming and vendors open at 4:30 PM

Basin and Partial Lightings

Thursday, June 19 – Partial Lighting: RISD + Memorial Park Area
Supported by: The Providence Tourism Council
Sunset: 8:22 PM | Lighting ends at 10:30 PM
Onshore programming and vendors open at 7:30 pm

Monday, August 18 – Basin Lighting
Supported by: CSG East 64th Annual Meeting and Regional Policy Forum
Sunset: 7:41 PM | Lighting ends at 10:00 PM

Starts at Sunset Lightings

Located on the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge
Presented by the Providence Tourism Council

Thursday, May 15 – Sunset (7:59 PM) to 10:00 PM

Thursday, July 17 – Sunset (8:17 PM) to 10:00 PM

Thursday, October 30 – Sunset (5:42 PM) to 8:00 PM

Wednesday, December 31 –  Sunset (4:25 PM) to 9:00 PM

Walking to WaterFire from the Christopher Dodge House is a pleasant experience that winds through parts of Providence’s historic and scenic downtown. The walk is just under a mile and typically takes about 15–20 minutes, depending on your pace. We recommend arriving a little early to secure a good spot for viewing the lighting of the fires and to fully enjoy the ambiance.

These dates fill up quickly, so be sure to book your stay with us in advance!