(WXYZ) — Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and the team announced a $1 million donation that will build basketball courts at a new park coming to Detroit's riverfront.
According to the Pistons, the donation will fund the construction of two open-air basketball courts, plus gathering areas and a flexible space at the new Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park.
The 22-acre park just west of Downtown Detroit is set to open at the end of October.
VIDEO: Drone footage of Ralph C Wilson Park, set to open in October
“Our basketball courts initiative has provided kids and Detroiters of all ages with healthy environments to stay active,” Gores said in a statement. “We are excited to join the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy on this transformative project that will provide two open-air basketball courts and gathering areas that can be used to foster recreation and community connection.”
The courts will have best-in-class glass backboards, stanchions and rims, plus seating areas, green spaces and other amenities around the court. The court will be made of fluid-applied athletic flooring, which is an outdoor-rated surface.
“We’re grateful to Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons for helping bring these courts to the riverfront because we know that they are going to be a popular draw both for people living in Detroit and for those living all over Southeast Michigan,” Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CEO Ryan Sullivan added in a statement. “It’s partnerships like these that have been driving this project from the very beginning and making the dream of creating a world-class park for all Detroiters a reality.”
The all-new park is set to host a grand opening celebration on Oct. 25 and 26, which will include a concert headlined by The Jacksons, as well as a diverse lineup of performances featuring Detroit musicians and more than 30 Metro Detroit food trucks.
Among the free fall activities will be trick-or-treating. The weekend celebration begins on Saturday, October 25 with a 10 a.m. press conference and ceremonial grand opening, which the public is encouraged to attend. It will run until 8 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, October 26.
Among the activities available, guests can take a ride down the 23-foot-tall Bernstein Bear Slide at the Delta Dental Play Garden, shoot hoops in the William Davidson Sport House, stroll the water’s edge along the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Water Garden, and enjoy live music on the grass of the DTE Foundation Summit.
Three stages and a coffee shop pop-up space will provide guests with a place to enjoy a variety of dance and musical performances all weekend long, headlined by The Jacksons at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday on the Summit Main Stage.
The Michigan Lottery Southwest Stage will feature artists from throughout southwest Detroit neighborhoods, with performances from local favorites like Ballet Folklorico Detroit, COMPÁS, Gabriel Duran, and others.
The Soaring Eagle 8th Street Stage will feature a lineup of local artists from many genres of music, with performances by Larry Lee & the Back in the Day Band, Alise King, Detroit House Collective, and more.
In addition, the Coffee House is a pop-up lounge featuring an eclectic mix of entertainment and interactive art presentations on Saturday and Sunday, with performances from Michigan Lion Dance and Sean Blackman, as well as an interactive paint event with Elton Monroy. Popular southwest Detroit coffee shop Cafecito Alvarez will provide the coffee.
For a complete list of performances and times, visit detroitharvestfest.com.
