Third Annual Bright Night Providence Celebration to feature two Fireworks Displays, a WaterFire, Chainsaw Juggling Ballet, & over 140 performers.
PROVIDENCE, RI.,December 19,2005 – Bright Night Providence, the artist-run New Year’s celebration now in its third year, will continue to keep New Year ‘s Eve bright in Providence. This year the festival will feature expanded children’s activities, a WaterFire, and two spectacular display of fireworks to start the New Year with a bang.
I’m very excited about this year,” says Adam Gertsacov, director of the festival, “Each year our festival has been able to grow a little. Being able to provide a family fireworks display, and additional afternoon kids’ activities is great for us, great for our audience, and great for the city.” The dual fireworks display is being sponsored by the Providence Tourism Council, Mohegan Sun, and Bluechip Properties, the developers of One Ten Luxury Residences. Other major sponsors include Sandler Sales Institute (Sales PHD), Open MRI of New England, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and the City of Providence.
“Bright Night Providence is one of the most vibrant arts organizations in the city” says Providence Mayor David Cicilline, “Adam and the artists are doing a great job. We’re happy to do what we can to support their efforts.”
Corporate sponsors are also pleased with the work of the Providence run festival. Says Mitchell Etess, President and CEO of Mohegan Sun, “I commend Bright Night organizers for their continued commitment to making New Year’s Eve fun for everyone young and old. Mohegan Sun is glad to be able to support the artists’ efforts to bring fireworks to the Providence skyllne.” Eamon O’Marah, Managing Partner of BlueChip Properties LLC, the developers of One Ten Luxury Residences in downtown Providence , echoed those sentiments. “BlueChip Properties is proud to be a new sponsor of the Bright Night fireworks, and we applaud the work of the many artists who make Bright Night a world class New Year’s Eve Celebration.”
Activities this year will include performances by Guinness record-holding jugglers The Passing Zone, who will juggle bowling balls, thighmasters, and running chainsaws for three shows at PPAC; a special edition of WaterFire (sponsored by BellaVista restaurant), and performances, art displays, and art workshops by over 140 performers throughout downtown Providence. Some of those artists & performers include Bill Harley, Big Nazo Puppets, the Lucky Band, Fusionworks Dance Company, Joan Merwyn Physical Theatre, the American Story Theatre, East West Black Belt Academy, Val Tutson, the Lucky Band, Michael Bresler, Mark Binder, the Providence Mandolin Orchestra, Davey the Clown, Marvelous Marvin Novogrodski, the Ocean State Children’s Chorus, the Narragansett Bay Chorus, Carolyn Martino, Lon Cerel, Chris Carbone, and scores of others.
Tickets to Bright Night are $10 in advance, $15 day of the event, and available online at https://www.brightnight.org, over the phone at 401-621-6123 (ArtTixRI), and available at all BankRI locations, OOP! stores, and the East Side Marketplace. Day of event tickets will be also sold at Providence Performing Arts Center, ArtTixRI Office, RISD Museum, the Providence Children’s Museum, and several other venues.
About Bright Night
Bright Night was founded in 2003 after Providence’s long-running New Year’s Eve festival, First Night, was cancelled. Organized in less than three months, the event drew over 12,000 people to downtown Providence, making Bright Night the largest New Year’s Eve party in the state. The festival features local artists and performers at venues throughout downtown Providence, and provides a fun, vibrant, and family friendly atmosphere for the people of Rhode Island.
The festival’s director, Adam Gertsacov, is an actor, director, and clown based in Providence, RI. He wears many hats, including that of a flea circus impresario, a local author, the esteemed hat of the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland, and many others. He became the Festival director of Bright Night Providence in 2003 when a group of local artists (himself included) didn’t want to see the city go dark on New Year’s Eve.
