Waterfire Sharon 2016 Event Details

This year’s events are on July 16, August 20, and September 24.

September 24th:  Destination Imagination

Artists and food vendors will open at noon. Shop and enjoy the tastes of our festival throughout the day and evening. From roast beef sandwiches to gyros, come visit the WaterFire Food Court, located in the parking lot on South Dock St., and indulge in delicious foods while waiting for the braziers to light at dusk.

More than sixty-five artisans and non-profit organizations will cover the downtown streets from the intersection of E. State and Dock St. through W. State Street and Main Street. We will feature fine artists, crafts vendors, jewelry makers, and more—a little something for everybody. Be sure to stop at every tent:  you never know what you’ll find!

Our Children’s Activity area is located directly behind  PNC Bank (on Chestnut Street). Open from noon until 5 p.m., kids of all ages will enjoy coaster making with members of the  Pat Catan   team.  Hermitage High School  Green Team will have an educational and interactive display where you can learn about the Monarch Butterfly and  Sharon School District’s Robotics team  will be back again this month demonstrating their skills. Kids can have fun singing karaoke with Penn State Shenango  and test their skills with a bean bag toss or putt-putt golf and much more.  Be sure to head over to Bicentennial Park to visit the Petting Zoo which will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Join the Sharon Historical Society  and Sharon Beautification Commission  on a History Walk as they the tour Vine and Railroad Ave. and a portion of E. State St featuring the Masonic Temple, now known as The Corinthian Event and Banquet Center  and The Shenango House. History Walks will start at the corner of Vine Ave and E. State St at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Nature and art come together in Bicentennial Park to create a truly amazing experience. See Native American themed wood carvings created by artist Michael Long  in five ash trees. Enjoy a walk along the river trail and visit the new Living Willow Sculpture and the Gallery Garden featuring 20 posts painted by 20 local artists.

Enjoy sports? Admire athletes and their accomplishments? Then you won’t want to miss this one of a kind collection. Inside the Community Library  you’ll find a large, autographed, and unique sports memorabilia collection on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no charge to visit this collection that you’ll find on the library’s first floor. Also located at the Community Library is The Literary Garden. Members of Random Acts of Artists (RAA)  installed this garden to help bring awareness to the importance of literature and the arts in our community. Each of the over 40 posts are painted to represent a book or piece of literature theme of the artist’s choice. Be sure to visit this inspirational garden.

Visit WaterFire Sharon’s “Starlight Garden,” located at the corner of South Water Avenue and Connelly Boulevard. From 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., for $20, a donor will receive both a lit star with a ribbon and a luminary with a blank card. Write a wish or message on the ribbon, which will be hung with the lit star in “Starlight Garden.” The card is also meant for the donor to write their wish or message on, to be placed beneath the luminary.

After the wishes are written, WaterFire Volunteers will be onsite to hang the star within the garden where the donor chooses. This beautiful spot of light along the river is a magical environment where you can personalize your experience at WaterFire even more. Writing a wish for the world, a loved one, even yourself, or sending a message to someone afar–it’s all up to the writer.  Enjoy how beautiful the blue glow of the stars looks paired with the orange glow of the braziers lit in the river.

For the first time in WaterFire Sharon history, all of the boat captains for the lighting ceremony will be women. Pictured from left to right: Brandi Baros, Lisa McKenzie, Joan Christy, and Missa Eaton.

So, what are you wishing for? From your friends at WaterFire, Sharon PA, “May all your wishes come true!” After each event, the wishes are sealed, brought to the river operations and placed in a brazier at the following fire.  A bow on that brazier designates for you where your wishes are.

Keep an eye on the river around 4:45 p.m. as Chris Higbee  makes his way to our River Stage for his 2-hour performance.

Dan Alan Hogan  and Brianna Bojewski will perform live from a boat traveling the entire stretch of the river from Connelly Blvd. to Silver St.

Angela Grace  will take us on a musical trip around the world through opera starting in the United States, with “God Bless America,” then traveling to magical destinations such as Germany with “Ach Ich by Mozart,” Italy with “Piangero by Handel,” and France with “DePuis Le Jour.” She always offers a stellar performance!

We imagined it could someday happen, but never realized it could happen so soon! For the first time in WaterFire Sharon history, all of the boat captains for the lighting ceremony will be women. Our women captains who have made this a reality are:  Brandi Baros, Joan Christy, Missa Eaton and Lisa McKenzie.

Click here  to read about past events and learn about the types of unique activities, food, and entertainment that WaterFire has to offer. Click here  for WaterFire Sharon PA 2017 dates.