"On the southern part, we have our farmers' market, and that has 3,000 people that come to Northville every Thursday. Now they have someplace to recreate and enjoy life out there, too." Mayor Brian Turnbull said that at the ribbon-cutting for Downs River Park on June 17, 2026. His point holds up through the park's first October. The new green space on the old Northville Downs racetrack site was built to tie the city together. For now, its easiest entrance is on the market side, and the Northville Chamber Farmers' Market has four Thursdays left in its 2026 season.
What's open on the old racetrack site
According to the City of Northville, the park is now open to residents and visitors. The address is 460 River Street, between Beal Street and Seven Mile Road. Northville Township Parks and Recreation lists a half-mile of paved walking trails through wooded and meadow areas, pedestrian bridges over the river, benches, drinking fountains, and bike repair stations.
The river is the main feature. This stretch of the Rouge River ran through a concrete tunnel starting in 1962, and Hometownlife reported that crews brought it back to the surface in August 2025. Roughly 1,400 hardwood trees were planted along the reopened channel. The river was already back in the open last fall, while construction was still underway. This October is the first time the public can walk along it.
Sources differ on the size. The township's parks listing says 9 acres, while WXYZ's and Crain's coverage of the opening says 10. "About 9 to 10 acres" covers both. The design also has a stormwater job. WXYZ reported that the park has two 5-acre bioswales and a floodplain pond. They take in water from four upstream waterways: the Upper and Middle Rouge, the Randolph Drain, and Johnson Creek. The goal is to reduce flooding downstream in Wayne County. Johnson Creek flows into that system. It was not reopened as part of this project.
The park is part of the $350 million Northville Downs redevelopment by Hunter Pasteur and Toll Brothers. Seth Herkowitz, Hunter Pasteur's chief operating officer, called it "a generational asset for the city of Northville." The township's listing says the developer still handles maintenance for now. Questions about upkeep can go to Parks and Recreation at [email protected], and staff will pass them along.
Why the market side is the front door this fall
In his July 7 community update, Mayor Turnbull wrote that the park's south entrance is "right across from the Chamber's award-winning Farmers' Market." He suggested a stop at Custard Time and a walk around the park to see "the 1400 trees and native plants along the riverbanks." Market, custard stand, and south entrance are all at the same end of the site.
The Northville Chamber's 2026 market runs Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 550 W. Seven Mile Road. The season started May 7 and ends October 29. As of October 3, four market days are left: October 8, 15, 22, and 29. The Chamber lists flowers, produce, honey, plants, handmade goods, and baked goods. It also lists food trucks, live music, and a Community Connections booth that features a different local nonprofit each week.
That makes a simple route for any of those mornings:
- Shop the market at 550 W. Seven Mile and pick up lunch from a food truck.
- Cross to the south entrance of Downs River Park.
- Walk the half-mile of paved trail and the pedestrian bridges along the reopened Rouge.
- Stop at Custard Time on the way out. The mayor recommended it in July, but we couldn't confirm when it closes for the 2026 season, so call before you go.
Driving in from the west side of town is also new. The mayor's July update says Wayne County's first roundabout, at Seven Mile and Sheldon, had its ribbon-cutting in June to improve access to the Downs site.
The connections still being built
This is why the park works best as an outing from the market for now. Several pieces that will tie it to the rest of Northville are still under construction or still being planned.
| Piece | Status as of the latest public update |
|---|---|
| Mary Gilbert Log Cabin | The Northville Historical Society is restoring it for future use. The city's June 2026 progress report says exterior work was mostly done, with window and door repairs still to go. |
| Central Park | Under construction in the city's June 2026 update. Expected to open in 2027, with no date announced. |
| Riverwalk sections north of the park | WXYZ reported in June 2026 that two more sections, plus a link to Oakland County's new 9 Mile pathway, are planned over the next 1 to 2 years. |
| Cady Street stairs and walkway | The DDA's planned connection from Town Square down to The Downs. A February 2026 schedule had work starting this fall and running into summer 2027. The city's June update still listed design and scheduling as in progress. |
The Cady Street link matters most for a fall walk. According to Hometownlife's February coverage, Town Square is on the south side of Main Street between Hutton and Center. The planned stairs and walkway are meant to connect it to The Downs across the drop in elevation and make that route more accessible. Main Street itself is done. The city's June report says the Main Street renovation and the Town Square plaza extension were substantially complete and the street had reopened. So downtown is ready and the park is open, but the direct walking connection between them hasn't been built yet. We found no public confirmation as of early October that construction on it has started.
In June, Turnbull described the larger plan as "2.5 miles worth of walk space with the sidewalks and all these walkways." He also said parallel parking is coming next to the park. WXYZ reported $1.6 million budgeted for better park access, along with parking and drainage work. Until that's finished, the market-side entrance is the easiest way in.
Pairing the park with October in the 'Ville
The rest of October happens downtown and at Mill Race Village, so for now a park visit and those events are two separate stops. The Northville DDA's October schedule has plenty to choose from. The 15th annual Skeletons Are Alive displays are up downtown from October 1 to 31.
Two Thursdays line up well. On October 15, the market runs until 2 p.m., and Witches' (and Warlocks') Night Out starts at 4 p.m. at Main and Center Streets, with a costume contest, late shopping, food, and entertainment until 9 p.m. October 29 is the last market of the season and the last scheduled Thursday at the market in 2026.
Here's the October calendar near the park:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thursdays, Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29 | Northville Chamber Farmers' Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 550 W. Seven Mile, across from the park's south entrance |
| Through Oct. 31 | Skeletons Are Alive | Downtown Northville |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Victorian Fashion Show Tea, 1 to 3:30 p.m. | Cady Inn, Mill Race Village |
| Wed., Oct. 14 | Houdini in Detroit talk, 7 to 8:30 p.m. | Mill Race Historical Village |
| Thu., Oct. 15 | Witches' (and Warlocks') Night Out, 4 to 9 p.m. | Main and Center Streets |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Fall Lantern Festival, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Mill Race Village, 215 Griswold St. |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Streets of Treats, 10 a.m. to noon | Downtown Northville |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | City of Northville trick-or-treating, 6 to 8 p.m. | Citywide |
The Fall Lantern Festival is the biggest event on that list. The Northville Historical Society describes a day of pumpkin carving, Victorian-era crafts and demonstrations, live music, artisan makers, and seasonal treats. After dark, the village is lit by hundreds of carved pumpkins, and costumed storytellers tell ghost stories. Tickets are sold online and can't be refunded. The Houdini talk on October 14 is given by Jeremy Dimick, a curator at the Detroit Historical Society. The Historical Society's fall schedule continues past Halloween. On November 18, historian Heather Bruegl will speak at Mill Race Historical Village on "The 27th Grievance: Indigenous Nations and the Declaration of Independence."
After October 29, the park has no market crowd until spring. Its trails, bridges, and new riverbank plantings will still be open at 460 River Street, between Beal Street and Seven Mile Road.
At Realty Experts LLC, Brad Jordan tracks the Downs redevelopment in Northville, including the park, the Cady Street connection, and the Riverwalk sections still to come. If you'd like to know how those projects affect your street or your plans for a move, Work With Brad.
