Topics
News and Events
Date July 20, 2026
Media Contact
News Staff
[email protected]
401-863-2476
All News

WaterFire lighting will honor first responders, local partners as part of Brown Loves Providence

The University’s sponsorship of the Aug. 1 lighting will recognize the selfless acts of first responders and other local community members who supported Brown following the tragic events of Dec. 13, 2025.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Brown University will sponsor a full lighting of WaterFire Providence on Saturday, Aug. 1, dedicating the evening to the first responders and local community partners who supported the University following the tragic Dec. 13, 2025, shooting on campus.

The lighting comes as part of Brown Loves Providence, a campus-wide initiative to reciprocate the care and compassion that local residents, businesses, leaders and others showed the University in the aftermath of Dec. 13. In addition to the first responders and law enforcement officers who worked around the clock, local businesses provided meals and messages of support, neighbors opened their homes, and community partners helped students travel safely from campus to airports and train stations for an early start to the winter break.

In honor of those and so many other selfless acts, Brown President Christina H. Paxson said the WaterFire lighting will unite the Brown and Providence communities and recognize first responders, community partners and others from across the city who supported the campus community in extraordinary ways.

“The Providence community came together to support Brown at a time when we needed it most,” Paxson said. “By welcoming city leaders, first responders, business owners and community partners to gather with their families at WaterFire, we recognize their service and sacrifices during a deeply challenging time. The people of Providence supported Brown in ways we cannot fully measure, and we are profoundly grateful to the entire community.”

Launched in the mid-1990s by Brown Class of 1975 graduate Barnaby Evans, the award-winning WaterFire has been acclaimed by Rhode Island residents and international visitors alike as a powerful work of art and a moving symbol of Providence’s renaissance. During each full lighting, more than 80 sparkling bonfires, the fragrant scent of wood smoke, the flickering firelight on the city’s arched bridges, the silhouettes of the fire-tenders passing by the flames, the torch-lit vessels traveling down the river, and the enchanting music from around the world engage the senses and emotions of those who stroll Providence’s nearby streets and sidewalks.

Beginning around sunset, the Saturday evening lighting on Aug. 1 will feature public performances, community artwork and family-friendly activities, along with a vendor fair, food and beverage trucks, retail tents and street performers.

Kids and families can explore a Providence Fire Department touch-a-truck display, meet Brown’s beloved bear mascot, Bruno, and visit a gallery showcasing artwork created by Brown community members as part of the Brown Ever True campus healing and recovery initiative. Other family activities will include a Teddy Bear Clinic, where kids can step into the role of a doctor and perform routine checkups on stuffed animals. Students and faculty from Brown will also lead engineering demonstrations, including an exploration of liquids and an exhibit featuring an AI-enabled robotic pet.

Throughout the evening, participants will also be invited to place paper lanterns in Memorial Park and write cards and messages of gratitude to first responders and others who supported the University. Brown will also host a hospitality tent in Market Square for first responders and other invited community guests.

The evening’s program will begin at 7:20 p.m. with a special performance by musician and Brown staff member Geoff Greene, followed by remarks from Paxson and Mukesh K. Jain, dean of the Warren Alpert Medical School. The lighting will begin approximately 20 minutes after the night’s 8:03 p.m. sunset, and the fires will remain lit until midnight.

Tags
Brown and Providence

Related news:

News and Events

At Brown, intramural sports leagues rally all summer

Led by Brown Athletics and Recreation, summer intramural pickleball and soccer leagues bring students, faculty and staff together through weekly games and a dose of friendly competition.
Read Article