It’s about bringing people together during the winter in what seems like a national epidemic of loneliness.”

Nora Barre

There aren’t many times when it is appropriate to scream. However, a local display of puppets in downtown Providence actually invites people to do just this. People of all age groups are encouraged to jump onto the colorful platforms or move in close to the puppets, speak, scream, or sing their names, and watch them come to life with a dazzling display of song, dance, and light.  

This is this year’s Lumina Winter Festival. The name of the display is POP! The installation and musical experiences are by LeMounde Studios.

Last year marked the first time Lumina lit up Providence, with colored prisms on display at the walking bridge. This year, the main event is the puppets.  

Nora Barre, the executive director of the Downtown Providence Park Network, brought this display to Providence starting in 2024. She and her husband, Luke, had lived in Montreal during the winter, where she found inspiration for this display. Barre recalled, “There was a lot of beautiful displays of light and art in the winter.” She went on to explain, “These were large-scale, interactive, weather-resistant pieces of art.”  

According to Barre, these art pieces were changed out a few times a year to offer something new and exciting to the locals, so a collection of these large pieces of art began to accumulate. This lead to renting out the unused pieces to other cities.

After learning that these large-scale art pieces could be rented out, Barre decided to use grant money to bring something exciting to Providence. Though getting funds to do this, was a difficult task, the biggest hurdle was the paperwork. She said, “There was a lot of paperwork involved.”

The display of colorful prisms were secured in 2024, with trucks driving them all the way from Canada, and this year, the puppets arrived. 

This year has a local twist  
This year, in addition to other grants and numerous sponsorships, a $22,000 grant from Rhode Island Providence Tourism Council inspired Barre to add a new element to Lumina. A panel was put together to judge local artists who applied to create art that is either illuminated, interactive, or both.

Seven artists were chosen and set out to use vacant storefronts to display their artwork. One display of art includes a piece at Symposium Books called “The Eye of Providence” by local artist Jessica Ricci. Another piece features tapestries with thousands of mirrors on Westminster Street created by local artist Saberah Malik.

The goal of this element was to bring art to vacant spaces. Barre said, “It was to transform vacant space into one of beautiful economic vibrancy.” She went on to explain how transforming storefronts can encourage more people to visit local stores, make purchases, and boost the local economy through art.  

Another local element comes in the form of musical bikes. The bike display includes local artists' music that plays when riders pedal. The four stationary bikes light up as riders hear local artists’ music and images representing RI are reflected on the sidewalk.  

Another local element is in collaboration with RIPTA. A selfie station was created with a Lumina frame that says, “Next stop Lumina.” Barre explained, “We wanted more people to be able to come enjoy the display, and since parking is limited, we thought this would entice people to take the bus here.” 

Barre’s goal for this year’s Lumina is to encourage togetherness and energize the people who visit the display. She said, “It’s about bringing people together during the winter in what seems like a national epidemic of loneliness.” The Lumina Winter Festival will light up Providence from Feb. 1 through the 17 — there’s only a short time left to see the display.

The puppets, POPO, POPUP, POPLI, POPETTE, and POPOTIN are waiting for someone to come and scream out their names so they can energize downtown Providence with their song and dance.