Glass City Metropark Opening Weekend

Friday - Sunday, June 9 - 11, 2023 

Opening weekend for Glass City Metropark will be Friday-Sunday, June 9-11, with a free concert Friday evening, a roller skating party Saturday and an outdoor expo Sunday.

Friday, June 9 - Opening Day & Play!

• 11 a.m. Opening Weekend festivities will begin with a ribbon cutting event near Market Hall.
  
  
• 12 p.m. Glass City Metropark is open to all.
  
  The Garden by Poco Piatti, a new fast casual concept by a well-known local restaurant family, will officially open at noon inside Market Hall. It will be open to serve park visitors year-round, seven days a week for lunch and dinner with indoor seating inside Market Hall or outdoor patio seating overlooking the Maumee River.

• 7:30 p.m. Opening Night Celebration Concert featuring Nikki D & the Sisters of Thunder.
  
  After a day full of play at Glass City Metropark, the celebration continues with Toledo’s own Nikki D & the Sisters of Thunder who will headline a free concert on the event lawn adjacent to the Glass City Pavilion. The gospel-soul band made up of family members has travelled the country to perform at festivals, churches and auditoriums, and opened for Jack White & the Raconteurs in Detroit. The band is fronted by Nikki Brown, who is known for her powerful vocals and lap slide “sacred steel” guitar skills honed in church. She has performed at the Blues on Broadbeach Festival in Australia. Click here for more information about our live music events at Metroparks this summer <Details>.

Saturday, June 10 - First Saturday!

It’s the First Saturday of fun at Glass City Metropark. Plan to spend your day with us exploring all of the new park amenities and attractions. Kids can climb the 40-foot-tall Grosbeak Adventure Tower, cool off at the Mini-Maumee water play area, roller skate at The Ribbon <Details>, or enjoy lunch or dinner at The Garden by Poco Piatti.

• 11 a.m. Our first Saturday events kick-off with giveaways and prizes (while supplies last) and Metroparks volunteers stationed throughout the park to guide you through your first experience at this new addition to Glass City Metropark.

• 7 p.m. Join DJ Folk at The Ribbon for our first skating party of the summer. Admission is free if you have your own roller skates or roller blades. Rentals are available at Market Hall on a first come, first served basis. Click here for more information about our rental program at The Ribbon <Details>.

Sunday, June 11 - Outdoor Expo at Glass City Metropark

• Noon to 5 p.m. Metroparks Toledo hosts the biggest annual event of the year during our Opening Weekend celebration. Metroparks is for everyone and Outdoor Expo invites the community to try kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, Kids Zone and much more. Metroparks programmers will be on site to showcase the new park and guide you as you discover your next outdoor passion – regardless of ability.
  
  This is an inclusive event and staff are trained and ready to make accommodations. Adaptive equipment will be readily available. Click here for more information about Outdoor Expo <Details>.

About Glass City

While the opening will include most of the major amenities of the new park, additional art installations, a campground and the East Toledo Enrichment Center on Front Street are still in development.

The park is part of the larger Glass City Riverwalk. The first legs of Riverwalk are currently under construction on both sides of the river: from the MLK Bridge to Fort Industry on the downtown side, and from the bridge to The Docks restaurant complex in International Park. Future phases will renovate the remainder of International Park and extend from the MLK bridge to the Vistula neighborhood downtown.