Harvest Fest
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park
Detroit, Mich.
Oct. 25, 2025
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy revealed a long-awaited new park this past weekend with a two-day grand opening festival that got the whole city abuzz.
The $80 million, 22-acre Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park has been under construction since 2022, transforming a stretch of the West Riverfront to include kids play areas, a sports facility and a greenway community gathering space, plus an expanded stretch of the riverwalk and lovely views of the Detroit River and the Ambassador Bridge to Canada.
The Conservancy opened the park with its annual Harvest Fest and Food Truck Rally, which normally takes place in the Dequindre Cut, a recreational pedestrian path made from a former railway. Four stages spread throughout the park filled the air with live music, while 35 local food trucks lined the adjacent street offering fare that included Mexican, Middle Eastern, Balkan, barbecue options and more. The Jacksons headlined the music line-up Saturday (which I sadly missed), but I loved the powerhouse voices and harmonies of the Testimony Sings gospel choir quintet on Sunday (though I could have done without the evangelizing).
We lucked out with beautiful, sunny fall weather that showed off the park in its best light – literally. The most eye-catching space was the Delta Dental Play Garden, a whimsical playground with over-the-top climbing structures. The most dramatic were the slides, including ones attached to a giant bear, otter and beaver, in addition to an extra-long tower slide. It was – expectedly – chock full of kids that day, so I opted to wait for another time to try out the slides myself.
Adjacent was the closed-off Gilbert Family Foundation Water Wonderland, a splash zone which apparently features jets, sprays and streams for kids to play in, which will be fun to see when it opens after things warm up again next year. On the other side of the park was the 28,000 square-foot William Davidson Sport House, a circular open-air pavilion and community space that features two full-sized basketball courts under a 2000-foot skylight, which was pretty cool.
In between were the DTE Foundation Summit and Huron-Clinton Metroparks Water Garden, two picturesque open spaces with walking paths and benches and plans to be used for community events. It was a nice contrast to the narrower, busier stretch of the Riverwalk downtown (which we all love), and a welcome option for those seeking a more tranquil way to enjoy the riverfront.
The event also opened an expansion of the Riverwalk, which now offers a nearly five-mile direct path to Belle Isle Park, which I’m excited to bike on.
The Detroit Riverfront is a much beloved part of the city, and the crowds and excitement from Centennial Park’s Harvest Fest opening is evidence of that. Location-wise, I’m not sure how popular the park will be post-festivities, but I look forward to a calmer Riverfront experience and I imagine others will as well.
