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In 1994, artist Barnaby Evans was commissioned to produce a night-time sculptural installation in which 11 fires were set in specially designed metal braziers placed on downtown Providence waterways. A decade later, the concept has evolved into an ongoing series of extraordinary carnival-like celebrations that have come to symbolize the city's quirky spirit and ongoing urban renaissance.

WaterFire, which is produced by a local non-profit with the help of corporate sponsors and a small army of volunteers, can involve up to 100 bonfires illuminating the tidal basin at WaterPlace Park and adjacent stretches of the Woonasquatucket, Moshassuck and Providence rivers. Black-clad attendants in four torch-lit boats keep the fires ablaze, while a soundtrack of natural sounds and eclectic musical offerings reverberates along the public plazas, parks and walkways where revelers gather to experience the event.

Full and partial WaterFire illuminations follow an irregular schedule from May through October as determined by the availability of sponsorship funds. The fires, fed primarily with sawmill scraps and other cast-off wood waste, are lit just after sunset and burn until after midnight. All WaterFire events are free and open to the public, with various viewing areas in and around WaterPlace Park.. Check the WaterFire Web site (www.waterfire.com) for schedules and viewing information, or call the WaterFire information line at 401-272-3111.