Join the Holmes Family Park Grand Opening Festivities!
The City of Chelsea and Main Street Park Alliance invite everyone to celebrate the official opening of Chelsea's newest public park with a special celebration. Residents and visitors are encouraged to gather as Holmes Family Park officially opens to the public, marking the beginning of a new chapter for a space designed to bring people together through recreation and connection.
The Ribbon Cutting will take place at 10 a.m. on August 21, with refreshments from Zou Zou’s Cafe and Lakehouse Bakery, and will include brief remarks from our public and private partners. The Block Party is scheduled on August 22, starting with community yoga at 8:30 a.m. and continuing with activities, entertainment, food, and opportunities to explore the park, culminating with live music through 8:00 p.m. Participating organizations include Concrete Chelsea with skate demonstrations, Breathe Yoga, Ballet Chelsea with an all ages and abilities adaptive dance class, a Chelsea Education Recreation Commission Kids Fun Run, Chelsea District Library’s bookmobile Mobee, Boyer the Magic Guy, and more. A full schedule of events is available at mainstreetpark.org.
Thank you to all the donors, advocates, and volunteers who made this project possible. Over 720 donors and 2,500 community members contributed design input, 18,500 volunteer hours, and nearly $11 million in raised funds. It has been five years in the making, and we are so excited for this long-awaited opening day!
What's Next?
This day wouldn't be here without the vision, determination, and tenacity of the all-volunteer leadership team. Anthropologist Margaret Mead famously stated, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." This community and our partners embraced the challenges and opportunities of this project, and we've created something truly special. We Built the Park!
Main Street Park Alliance's commitment to the wellness and vitality of our community does not end with construction. Our fundraising efforts continue, and it is not too late to join us; 100% of post-construction funds will go to the Chelsea Parks & Pathways Sustainability Fund! The fund will support capital repairs and replacements across Chelsea's parks to ensure these new, beautiful spaces last.
Members of the Main Street Park Alliance Board of Directors (shown left to right):Joe Ziolkowski, Brian Trent, Jim Burkel, Anne Mann, Amy Heydlauf, Abby Hurst, and Virginia Krueger, with John Mann featured in the front row. (Note: Sue Jacobs and Tom Higgins are absent from the photograph.)
