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.