Three Nights of Lights is Back Next Week to Kick Off the Holiday Season
Head to downtown Providence Dec. 5–7 for a dazzling display of lights and festive activities.
Three Nights of Lights in downtown Providence. Photo courtesy of Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Raise your hand if you’ve been blasting holiday music and your living room is already adorned with a twinkling Christmas tree! While Thanksgiving is this Thursday, many of us have already been gearing up for the holiday season ahead. And as part of your preparations, put this year’s Three Nights of Lights event at the top of your holiday festivities to-do list.
The citywide celebration will take place Dec. 5–7 and includes activities for the whole family to enjoy. The event kicks off Thursday, Dec. 5 with a Gallery Night featuring two free guided trolley tours, where you can admire art galleries in downtown Providence and do some holiday shopping for local art to gift your friends and family. The guided tours will stop at two art galleries, plus The Avenue Concept’s Three Nights of Lights activation.
Get your fill of holiday cheer on Friday, Dec. 6, starting with a Tree Lighting Ceremony on the steps of City Hall, including a performance by the 18 Wheelers Acapella Group from the Wheeler School, followed by the Lillian Feinstein Sackett Street Choir. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Christmas celebration without the jolly man in the red hat — Santa will join the party during a parade, followed by a performance by musical artist Chachi Carvalho. To close out the evening and wrap up the tree lighting, Trinity Rep will lead carolers to the PVD Downcity Holiday Market, where you can find unique gifts for the whole family, and refuel with food and drinks.
Santa makes a visit to the Three Nights of Lights celebration in downtown Providence. Photo courtesy of Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.
On Friday night, you can also experience The Avenue Concept’s “Illuminated Avenue,” which will take you on a curated pathway through downtown with an interactive sculpture experience featuring artists The Reliquarium and Andrew Hlynsky on Eddy Street, a warm-up party station at The Salon, and a nighttime illumination of AS220’s Shepard Fairey mural on Clemence Street. The Illuminated Avenue connects the Three Nights of Lights activities, and you can follow the outdoor gallery through the Tree Lighting, the PVD Downcity Holiday Market, and the unique “Sound Sculpture” Interactive Light and Audio Experience at Biltmore Park. New this year, the Sound Sculpture comprises twenty-five blocks that you can interact with to create a unique musical structure.
And for the last day of the celebration, Saturday, Dec. 7, you can begin the day with a brand-new experience for this year: the Gingerbread Breakfast at the Graduate. Taking place from 10 a.m.–noon, you can enjoy a brunch buffet in the Biltmore Ballroom, arts and crafts, photos with Ballet RI’s The Nutcracker, and a special gingerbread kit. Afterwards, you can head to the PPAC and the Vets Holiday Sale where you can save 25% on select seating and performances for most upcoming shows at PPAC and The Vets. Plus, you can pay another visit to the PVD Downcity Holiday Market for unique gift items, which will be open from noon until 8 p.m.
And the Three Nights of Lights weekend festivities will conclude with a partial WaterFire lighting — the fires will be lit at 5:30 p.m. and will burn until 9 p.m., and keep your eyes peeled for a special visitor! Santa will make an appearance by the WaterFire boat.
The annual Three Nights of Lights celebration will conclude with a partial WaterFire lighting Saturday night. Photo courtesy of Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The weekend is free to attend, but there is a fee and a ticket is required for the Gingerbread Breakfast at the Graduate. Head to the Three Nights of Lights website to view the schedule of events and to plan your weekend for this festive holiday tradition.
