On the old Northville Downs site, between Beal Street and Seven Mile Road, a stretch of the Rouge River is running in daylight again. It had been under cement since the 1960s. Downs River Park opened to the public on June 17, 2026. That makes this the first October the town's fall calendar has had a river running alongside it.
The river now runs past several of this month's main stops: the park itself, Ford Field, Mill Race Village, and downtown just up the hill. The dedicated trail that would connect them off-street isn't built yet. For this season the riverfront comes in pieces, and the streets in between carry you from one to the next.
What came back, and what it cost
The park covers 10 acres and has pedestrian bridges, walking and cycling trails, drinking fountains and bike stations. WXYZ reported a total cost of $19.6 million. City and developer money paid for part of it. The river cleanup and daylighting also used millions in American Rescue Plan dollars from Wayne County, plus funding from EGLE, Michigan's environmental agency.
The park's design came out of years of advocacy. Nancy Darga is a licensed landscape architect, a founding member of Friends of the Rouge, and chair of the city's River Restoration Task Force. She pushed for the river restoration and for a public riverwalk linking nearby parks to be written into the redevelopment plans.
"You can build houses anywhere, but when you pave paradise and put in a parking lot, it's gone forever, and so we wanted to bring it back." — Nancy Darga, speaking to WXYZ
Northville Parks & Recreation lists the park at 460 River Street. The listing describes half a mile of paved walking trails, bridges across the river, benches, drinking water, bike repair stations and the Mary Gilbert Log Cabin. The cabin is being restored for future use and isn't open to visitors yet. You may also see a 2.5-mile figure. That number counts the surrounding sidewalks and walkways, so a park-only walk is the half mile.
A fall walk in three stops
The route below follows the river south to north, then heads up into downtown. Each stop is open now. What links them is the part still being built.
Stop one: Downs River Park
The park is the newest stop and the easiest to reach on foot. The developer describes sidewalks throughout The Downs and presents the neighborhood as an extension of downtown. Its site plan shows Main, East Cady, Center, Griswold, Beal and River streets around the property.
Expect active work nearby. The city's August 25 Northvillian newsletter said River Street infrastructure work was underway, with drainage, street, utility-pole and parking work expected to run into late fall. In late July, the Northville Record reported cranes still working across The Downs. Central Park on the north side was under construction, and a 178-unit apartment building was in early construction. In practice, the park is finished and much of the land around it is still a construction site.
Stop two: Ford Field
Ford Field is at 151 N. Griswold, next to Mill Race Village. The same August 25 newsletter said the Hutton Street sunrise gateway plaza was nearly finished. It also pointed to the ADA entryway and paths, a spot called Serenity Point, and new fencing at the waterfall area. Serenity Point is also the planned site of a Bicentennial art monument for 2027 featuring 200 Northville families.
Ford Field is also the stop where the missing link matters most. The Ford Field East River Trail is the off-street connection planned to run from downtown through Ford Field to Downs River Park, then on toward the Hines Park Regional Trail and the Seven-Mile Pathway. A February 2026 River Restoration Task Force presentation describes it as a 1,200-foot extension with two bridges and two pedestrian crossings, scheduled for construction in summer 2028. Until it's built, the walk between Ford Field and the park uses city streets.
The Griswold side has had its own work too. In late August the city said intermittent lane closures for the Griswold water-main and street project would be "done soon," and that Cady Street had reopened after construction on the Delano project building. The city hasn't posted a newer update, so check conditions on the day.
Stop three: Mill Race Village on October 17
Mill Race Historical Village is at 215 Griswold Street, reached by a bridge across from Ford Field. On Saturday, October 17, the Northville Historical Society holds its first Fall Lantern Festival there from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The daytime program includes pumpkin carving, Victorian-era crafts and demonstrations, live music, artisan makers and seasonal treats. After dark, hundreds of carved pumpkins light the village and costumed storytellers tell ghost stories. Tickets are sold online and are non-refundable.
Of the October events on this route, the Lantern Festival sits closest to the river. In a year when the city is building a riverwalk from Mill Race Village outward, holding a first-time festival at the village fits that larger plan.
The plan on paper versus what's finished today
The city's own descriptions don't all agree, so here they are side by side. The August 18 Northvillian newsletter called River Park connected to the Hines Drive pathway system. WXYZ's opening-day report described two more northward riverwalk sections and a link to Oakland County's pathway as work for the next one to two years. The August 25 newsletter said the full riverwalk "from the Mill Race Village to Cass Benton Park should be ready in the near-term."
| Piece | Status as of the latest dated source |
|---|---|
| Downs River Park, 460 River St. | Open since June 17, 2026 |
| Mary Gilbert Log Cabin | Being restored for future use |
| Ford Field Hutton St. gateway plaza | Nearly finished, per Aug. 25 city update |
| River Street infrastructure | Underway, expected into late fall |
| Central Park at The Downs | Opening forecast for next spring, per Aug. 25 city update |
| Ford Field East River Trail, 1,200 ft. | Construction scheduled for summer 2028 |
| Northward riverwalk sections and Oakland County link | Future work, per June 2026 reporting |
The Central Park date has already moved once. The August 18 newsletter said late fall. A week later, the August 25 edition said Central Park would open "next spring." The newer forecast points to spring 2027.
Up the hill: the rest of October
Downtown's calendar runs all month. The 15th annual Skeletons Are Alive displays are up from October 1 through October 31. The launch party was October 2, but the skeletons stay out all month. These are the remaining dated events on and near the route, from the Downtown Development Authority's October calendar and other organizers:
- October 9: Oakwood Cemetery tours.
- October 10: Maybury Farm's Great Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- October 15: Witch's Night Out downtown.
- October 17: Fall Lantern Festival at Mill Race Village, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- October 24: Streets of Treats.
- October 25: Wicked Halloween Runs at Maybury State Park, 5K, 10K and 15K, starting at 9 a.m.
- October 31: City trick-or-treating.
Just outside the river corridor, Parmenter's Cider Mill at 714 Baseline Road opened for its 2026 season on August 29. It's open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the winery is open Wednesday through Saturday, 3 to 11 p.m.
Mill Race Village also has programs after Halloween: a film screening with Q&A on November 1 and a history program on November 18. River Street work is expected to wrap up in late fall and Central Park is forecast for spring, so the Downs side of the river should look noticeably different by next October. The Ford Field East River Trail is the last link between these stops, and construction is set for summer 2028.
If you own near the river corridor and want to know how a finished Downs, a new Central Park and an eventual trail link could factor into your home's value, Five Star Luxury Realty can walk you through what's built, what's scheduled, and what that means for your property. Get a Free Home Valuation.
