By David Cowan
Chief Public Spaces Officer
Downtown Detroit Partnership
When you hear the word “free,” do you instinctively wonder, what’s the catch?
We live in a world where “free” often comes with fine print: free with purchase, free for a limited time, free if you sign up. But in the Downtown Detroit parks and public spaces, there is no catch. The events and programs are truly free—open to all, no strings attached—and they’re part of an intentional, long-term effort by the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) to make the city center a place where everyone feels safe and welcome.
This year alone, more than 1,200 free events will take place across select Downtown parks and public spaces managed and programmed by the DDP. These events are part of our mission to foster social and economic vibrancy through inclusive public experiences.
Why does this matter?
Because access to green, active, and welcoming public space should not be a luxury. It should be a basic expectation of urban life. Ideally, everyone should live within a 10-minute walk from a park because we know our economic, social, mental and physical health depends on it. It is easy to take Detroit’s investments in placemaking for granted, but 1 in 3 U.S. residents do not have a park or green space within a 10-minute walk and over 100 million people, including 28 million children, still do not have access to parks at all.
At DDP, the Parks and Public Spaces team invests significant time and resources to ensure that our programming is diverse, culturally rich, family-friendly, and accessible. We curate events with intention—always looking through the lens of inclusion, safety, and community benefit. We believe that everyone, regardless of income, age, or background, deserves to enjoy a clean, safe, and beautiful place to gather, celebrate, and connect.
And our approach is getting noticed.
Campus Martius Park was named the #1 Public Square in the United States by voters in the USA Today 10Best Awards. But accolades aside, what drives us is the feedback we receive every day from families, residents, entrepreneurs, and first-time visitors who experience joy, belonging, connectivity, and discovery in these spaces.
Our 2025 Summer in the Parks lineup is now live, and it reflects the breadth of what “free and fun” can mean. This season, new and returning programs and events will take place throughout the parks, including Movie Nights in the D, an expanded layout of The Beach at Campus Martius Park presented by Diversified Members Credit Union; and the all-new CABANA 313, designed and furnished by Gardner White, an open-air two-story summer hangout. Enjoy free outdoor activities for children with the return of Campus Kids Day, taking place on select weekends starting July 13. Plus, downtown-goers can enjoy the newly added program Tacos and Trivia Tuesdays, starting June 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Campus Martius Park.
If competitive sports aren’t your thing, try Workout Wednesdays with First Responders 4 Fitness, a nonprofit dedicated to wellness and community health. Or come out September 13 for an immersive day of art, poetry, and music with InsideOut Literary Arts—celebrating Detroit’s creative spirit and commitment to wellness.
Even national events like the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear embrace this vision, as they offer a Free Prix Day, an open invitation from the Penske team for all Detroiters to experience the race on Friday, May 30.
The DDP’s vision is simple but vital: Public spaces should be open to all, designed to bring people together, inspire joy, and uplift public life. In a time when too many experiences are gated by cost, we see free programming not as a perk, but as a public good – and one that pays it forward exponentially.
We don’t ask you to buy something. We just ask you to show up and enjoy.
Because for us—and for Downtown Detroit—free means freedom: to gather, to celebrate, to belong.
We think it’s priceless.