WaterFire

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Waterfire at Waterplace Park in Providence

WaterFire is an environmental art installation created by Barnaby Evans in Providence, Rhode Island. It consists of a series of up to 100 bonfires that blaze just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence in Waterplace Park (the Woonasquatucket, Moshassuck, and Providence rivers) , with accompanying world and classical music, sometimes with live performances. Started in 1994, events continue to be scheduled on an approximately biweekly basis in the summer months. One impetus for Waterfire is to continue the revitalization efforts in the downtown Providence area both through increased tourism from nonlocals (60% of viewers are from outside the state) and the bringing of local residents to the city's downcity streets. Average attendance is 40,000 a night, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000. Ten percent of the funds needed to host Waterfire is acquired through governmental means with the remainder coming from private and commercial donations.

In July 2005 Columbus, Ohio began hosting their own WaterFire event, called WaterFire on the Mile.