Brown will sponsor Oct. 22 lighting during Family Weekend with community and family activities.
Brown University will sponsor a full lighting of WaterFire Providence on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 22, uniting members of the Brown community with neighbors and families from across the Providence area for a world-class artistic and cultural experience.
Brown’s sponsorship of the late-October lighting comes as the University welcomes thousands of parents and family members of current students from across the globe to Providence for Family Weekend and for The Warren Alpert Medical School’s Medical Family Weekend, part of a celebration of Brown’s 50 years of impact in medical education and research. The weekend events gives families of Brown students a taste of the intellectual and cultural vitality of Brown and Providence and the opportunity to engage firsthand in the local community.
In celebration of 50 Years of Medicine, the Medical School will feature MEGA Lungs, an educational exhibit that allows visitors to step inside an inflatable human lung replica. Visitors can learn about the various structures and normal lung functions, observe examples of lung trauma and disease—including lung cancer, the leading cause of death from cancer in Rhode Island—and view displays explaining some of the latest respiratory medical treatments.
The lighting is free and open to the public. All are encouraged to join members of the Brown community to begin the lighting procession at the basin of Waterplace Park. The night’s events start at 5:45 p.m. with a special performance from folk-rock artist and Brown University student Chance Emerson ‘23.5 and brief remarks from Brown President Christina H. Paxson and Dean of Biology and Medicine Mukesh K. Jain, MD. The lighting will immediately follow, approximately 20 minutes past sunset (5:54 p.m.), and the fires will remain lit until 11 p.m.
Brown will also host hospitality tents for Brown parents and families (on Market Square) and Warren Alpert Medical School community members celebrating 50 Years of Medicine at Brown (on Washington Street). The lighting also coincides with events throughout the weekend for Brown alumni volunteer leaders.
