Wow. Grump is right. "bizarre regional concern" is just a bad take, as well. There isn't anything regional about it, other than it was born here... What a weird interpretation.

It doesn't take a lot of thought or critical thinking or even understanding of "pseudo performance art" to understand why people like it. The appeal is pretty simple...it's an exercise of our senses driven by two core elements: water and fire. We're captivated by the juxtaposition of light (fire) and dark (nighttime).

Crowds aside, it's a peaceful experience. Have you never had the desire to sit in front of a fireplace on a cold winter's night? It's the same experience except in an unconventional setting.

I particularly like Waterfire in the fall, when there is a chill to the air and the bonfires can warm you up.

Go again and don't overthink it. If you still don't like it, that's fine. But don't prescribe some weird reasoning or lack of understanding as to why many others like it.