What is WaterFire?
WaterFire Sharon is a nonprofit arts fund of the Community Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio whose mission is to aid in the revitalization of the region and foster community engagement. WFS is in its sixth season hosting art installation themed events in downtown Sharon, Pa. as a premier art and music festival. Since 2013, WFS has attracted tens of thousands to each of its fifteen festivals to date.
More than 50 braziers are anchored in the Shenango River in downtown Sharon during an event. Filled with cedar and pine, they are ablaze at nightfall to create a compelling display. Add to the mix, a perfect blend of pre-recorded music and live musicians performing from WFS boats to create memories that will last forever.
WaterFire is a multi-sensory performance event created by Barnaby Evans in the mid-1990s as WaterFire Providence. It transformed a city, a community and a people, and delivered a public art form that symbolized the city’s effort to make the arts a major player in the revitalization of its downtown.
2018 Themes
Click to enlarge
Our 2018 season dates and themes are Saturdays: July 21 – Magical Moments, Aug. 18 – Everyday Heroes, Sept. 22 – Hands Across the Water.
Our day-long events kick off at 2p.m. and offer live music, a variety of food options and interactive arts experiences – free of charge to the public. WFS performances on the river begin at dusk but look to the river throughout the day for music on the water. Fire performers and entertainers add to the experience on, and around, the river; accompanied by a cool mix of live and recorded music. WFS will have two stages with entertainment starting at 3 pm. Headline band for July is The Vindy’s, Aug. is Chris Higbee and Sept. is Beatlemania. WFS will host an expanded children’s fun zone located near Reyer’s Shoe Store with fun activities for kids including physical fitness, games, crafts and more. We are currently recruiting talented regional artisans, creative craftsmen, diverse musicians, performing artists, and foodies to sign up to vend at WFS.
This year’s August theme,“Everyday Heroes,” is a call to celebrate all the super citizens in our communities, whether it’s first responders or teachers, nurses… or a community-minded citizen you might know – we are looking for your personal heroes to be torch earers at WFS.
Our own heroes include our donors and our volunteers who help create WFS season after season. Aside from three part-time staff who manage and direct WFS operations year-round, each WFS performance is created by over 200 volunteers. From parking attendants to clean-up crews at the end of the night, our volunteers are the foundation of WFS. We require a tremendous amount of community involvement, and people from all over Western PA and Eastern Ohio are actively involved. It is not uncommon for visitors to return as volunteers for subsequent performances. People not only travel significant distances to see WFS, they also travel to be a part of the WaterFire family of volunteers!
Meet New People, Make New Friends—Be a WaterFire Sharon Volunteer
WFS gives one a deeper experience as a volunteer. There are as many reasons for involvement as there are volunteers, but the feedback is consistent in theme; Inspirational. “I volunteer for WaterFire Sharon because at first, the concept sounded so cool; I continue to volunteer because of all the great people I’ve met and the positive feelings I get while on the river during each event,” Joan Christy, WFS Volunteer.
Meet new people; make new friends. If you would like to volunteer with WFS, email our volunteer coordinator Janet Stanko at jstanko@waterfiresharonpa.org or visit our website to sign up today.
