The holiday season in the capital city kicks off on December 5, with Three Nights of Lights. This festival features three days of citywide events incorporating the theme of light, beginning with The Avenue Concept’s outdoor gallery, where murals and sculptures will be activated with lighting, sound, and performances, at various locations. Also, Gallery Night Providence will be offering free guided tours. The trolleys will leave from the Graduate and will stop at galleries exhibiting small works/buy art shows.
On Friday, December 6, be sure to catch the Providence City Hall Tree Lighting, which will include live entertainment, a Santa parade, and plenty of food trucks. Also that night, FirstWorks will present Masary’s “Sound Sculpture,” an interactive light and audio experience at Biltmore Park. This event will comprise 25 cubes, representing individual notes in spatial dimension and time. Unique sound and light scores will be created with each audience engagement. Additionally, Grant’s Block Park will be transformed into an outdoor holiday marketplace. Nearby shops and restaurants will be offering holiday specials, gifts, and programming. You can capture a lasting memory with your friends and family members on the Roving Selfie Station, by Luke Renchan Entertainment, and sponsored by Johnson & Wales University.
On Saturday, December 7, you can start the day off with a ‘Gingerbread Breakfast,’ at the Graduate. This brunch buffet runs from 10 AM until noon, and includes a gingerbread kit, as well as other arts and crafts and children’s activities. Afterward, stroll the PVD Downcity Holiday Market to shop, eat, and drink, to support local businesses.
Three Nights of Lights in Providence concludes with WaterFire lighting from Market Square to Memorial Park. There will be decorated trees, a Starry Starry Night art installation, and Santa himself will be stopping by for a visit to delight the children, two weeks in advance of his regular stop on Christmas Eve.
If you miss these events, there are plenty of other happenings to attend in Providence this December that will fill you with the spirit of the season. You can catch Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis on December 6 at PPAC. This is a one-of-a-kind holiday tradition that features a traveling ensemble of fifteen musicians playing more than twenty instruments.
As we get close to Christmas, you can attend The Nutcracker, presented by Ballet RI. This show runs from December 19 through December 29, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium (The Vets). The Nutcracker is always a holiday spectacular with impressive sets and costumes and dozens of talented young dancers, performing alongside world-class resident dancers.
And of course, there is Trinity Repertory Company’s highly-anticipated annual rendering of A Christmas Carol. This year’s stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ yuletide classic will be performed at PPAC, with show’s running through December 29. The change in venue was due to renovation work that is underway at Trinity Rep’s Chace Theater, where the play has run for the last 47 years. For ticketing, visit the Trinity Rep website: https://www.trinityrep.com/show/a-christmas-carol.
