Ralph Wilson Park Grand Opening Announced

Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Announces October 25 & 26 for Grand Opening of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park

Featuring Detroit Harvest Fest and a full weekend of world-class programming

DETROIT (August 7, 2025) – The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is inviting everyone from the Metro Detroit community to celebrate the grand opening of the much-anticipated Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park on October 25 & 26. Editor’s Note: Video & images of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park available here.

The celebration begins on Saturday, October 25 with a 10 a.m. press conference and ceremonial grand opening of the 22-acre park, after which the community is invited to experience this landmark park for the first time.

In celebration of this historic moment, elements of the Conservancy’s popular Detroit Harvest Fest will move to the Ralph Wilson Park Grand Opening Celebration for 2025 and will become a free event this year filled with live entertainment, fall activities, food trucks and endless fun for all ages throughout the new park.

Ralph Wilson Park will be filled with live entertainment, fall activities, and local eats for all to enjoy. Guests can take a ride down the 23-foot-tall iconic Bear Slide at the Delta Dental Play Garden, be the first to shoot hoops in the William Davidson Sport House, stroll the water’s edge along the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Water Garden, and enjoy live music on the grass of the DTE Foundation Summit. There will be something for everyone at this historic grand opening event. The opening weekend is presented by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

“Ralph Wilson Park will open as one of the most iconic public spaces in the country and will represent a massive step towards the completion of our vision for 5.5 miles of perpetual public access to our revitalized riverfront,” said Matt Cullen, chairman of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Board of Directors. “Our community owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Wilson Foundation for launching this vision for Detroit, as well as to the many partners that joined them in turning this vision into a reality, such as William Davidson Foundation, Huron-Clinton Metroparks, Delta Dental, Erb Foundation, DTE Foundation, and all of the other benefactors who have made this achievement possible.”

About Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park

Conservancy leaders expect that the dramatically changed landscape along the downtown riverfront will provide significant economic benefits in the area as well. Construction began on the project in the summer of 2022.

The park honors the legacy of the late entrepreneur, veteran and philanthropist Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. It was designed by New York-based Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, which won an international design competition that the Conservancy hosted in 2018.

The world-class park will be home to four major attractions, including the William Davidson Sport House, which features two regulation basketball courts; the five-acre Delta Dental Play Garden, which features an array of animal structures for kids to climb in and around; the 2.5-acre Huron-Clinton Metroparks Water Garden, and the DTE Foundation Summit, with its lush, green lawn that will be used for special events and programming.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park is one of the most significant projects in the Conservancy’s 22-year history and is another major step forward in completing the non-profit’s goal of developing 5.5 miles of revitalized waterfront along the Detroit Riverfront.

The Conservancy celebrated the completion of the 3.5-mile East Riverfront in the fall of 2023.

“When Ralph Wilson Park opens in a few months, it will be a world-class gathering place for all,” said Ryan Sullivan, CEO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. “The park’s design has been community-led since the beginning, and Detroiters of all ages have contributed ideas and inspiration that have come to life in this park. We are thrilled to welcome everyone to this public space the weekend of October 25 & 26. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy.”

The Conservancy will share additional details about the weekend celebrations surrounding the grand opening of Ralph Wilson Park and Detroit Harvest Fest in coming weeks.

In addition to the grand opening of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park, Saturday, October 25 will also mark the opening of the boardwalk in front of Riverfront Towers and a new stretch of Riverwalk just west of the boardwalk.

Once opened, this new stretch will allow Detroiters to move seamlessly between Belle Isle, Eastern Market, Michigan Central and downtown Detroit, all along the beautiful Riverwalk and associated greenways.

Ralph Wilson Park is located along the West Riverfront at 1801 West Jefferson in downtown Detroit.

Grand Opening Weekend is presented by Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and made possible by the following sponsors: Youth Activity Partner: Delta Dental; Southwest Greenway Partner: Bedrock; Kids Adventure Trail: Priority Health; Sustainability Partner: Ally Bank; Wellness Partner: Henry Ford Health; Founding Partner: Matt & Karen Cullen, and Steven Hamp & Sheila Ford Hamp; and Champion of the Conservancy: Hudson-Webber Foundation.