A new light show at the popular Rings Fountain celebrates the 10th Year Anniversary of the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The fountain was due for an overhaul, recently completed by the Greenway Conservancy with $250k in repairs and upgrades, funded as part of the public / private partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The Rings Fountain has become a signature of the Greenway, centrally located in the ribbon of parks that replaced the Central Artery after the Big Dig project.
The new light show, created by WET Design, comes with 156 programmable LED lights syncing to the fountain’s water show. Under the covers, the infrastructure received new light bases, lenses and hoses.
“After hundreds of hours of work by our staff and contractors, I’m excited that the Rings Fountain will continue to be such a popular, free daytime attraction and newly a nighttime destination for the added light shows,” said Bob Stigberg, Director of Maintenance & Capital at the Greenway Conservancy.
For its tenth anniversary, the Conservancy is highlighting its organic gardens with three new additions: 10,000 bulbs in bloom in the Carolyn Lynch Garden, a new wildflower meadow growing in, and the introduction of beehives. The Conservancy’s 2019 public art exhibit, “The Auto Show”, harkens back to the demolished elevated highway with contemporary artworks; as one part of this, an augmented reality app offers visitors a chance to see historical photos and contemporary digital artworks.
October 4-10 will be celebrated as Greenway Week, with special programming including a free day at the Greenway Carousel at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove on October 10th.
“We encourage all visitors to come enjoy Rings as part of a full day of fun downtown, including our world-class art, great food and drink options, and beautiful gardens,” said Jesse Brackenbury, Conservancy Executive Director. “We appreciate the support of the state and private funders to assure that the Rings Fountain remains a signature element of The Greenway.”
In addition to the Rings Fountain, the Greenway has several other water features, including two fountains near the North End, the Armenian Heritage Park fountains, the Harbor Fog installation, and the waterfall in Chinatown Park. Fountains operate daily until October from 9a-11p.
