City:  Detroit

Event:  Detroit Bike Summit

Open Space:  Chandler Park

Category:  Community Play

The Detroit Bike Summit at Chandler Park highlights how cities can connect people, mobility, and green spaces. Residents, advocates, and local organizations come together to explore safe, active transportation, enjoy shared rides, and celebrate the East Side’s neighborhoods. By combining recreation, learning, and community engagement, the summit demonstrates how urban parks and public spaces can foster connection, accessibility, and a culture of active living.

City:  Flint

Event:  Mott Fest

Open Space:  Mott Park

Category:  Community Play

Mott Fest turns Flint’s Mott Park into a hub of community, music, and connection. Residents of all ages gather to enjoy live performances, local vendors, and shared outdoor activities, celebrating the vibrancy of their city. Beyond the fun, the festival highlights the value of public spaces and local programs, showing how urban parks can foster belonging, well-being, and pride in the places people call home.

City:  Grand Rapids

Event:  Skateboarding Workshop

Open Space: Clemente DIY Skate Park

Category:  Built Together, Community Play

At Clemente DIY, youth and families can engage with outdoor recreation in a creative, hands-on way. The skateboard workshop brings people together to learn, build, and skate, welcoming all ages and skill levels. By providing access to equipment and guidance, this community-driven space shows how urban programs can foster connection, play, and confidence in public spaces.

City:  Saginaw

Event:  Outhouse Races

Open Space:  Hoyt Park

Category:  Community Play

At Hoyt Park, winter becomes a season of connection and creativity. The Saginaw Outhouse Races began over a decade ago as a small grassroots challenge and have grown into a festival where families, local businesses, and thrill-seekers come together to enjoy snow, laughter, and playful ingenuity. From handcrafted ski-mounted outhouses to community sledding hills, this tradition shows how urban parks and shared outdoor spaces can foster joy, resilience, and a sense of belonging even in the coldest months.

City:  Saginaw

Event:  Pints + Paddles

Open Space: Imerman Memorial Park

Category:  Community Play

Local rivers offer a gateway to outdoor adventure, while nearby breweries, parks, and public spaces transform everyday waterways into vibrant community hubs. Initiatives like paddling excursions show how cities and towns can embrace their rivers as living landscapes, demonstrating that urban and suburban communities can experience the richness of nature right in their own backyard.

City:  Saginaw

Event: Runners Footwear Demo

Open Space: Headwaters Recreation Area

Category:  Community Play

Once a dormant site of a General Motors plant, this 334-acre landscape has been transformed into trails, wetlands, ponds, and wildlife habitat. It stands as a living example of nature’s resilience, demonstrating how former industrial lands can be transformed for recreation, education, and urban biodiversity, providing city residents with a direct connection to ecological recovery.