PORT HURON, MI — Carnival rides, live music and festival food are returning to downtown Port Huron this summer as organizers prepare for the first Riverfest at Desmond Landing.
The family-friendly festival, host by The Wrigley Center, will run over two weekends from June 4-14 at 207 Water St., near Desmond Marina where the Black River meets the St. Clair River. Organizers say the event is designed to bring back the large carnival atmosphere many residents remember from years past.
The event will feature more than 30 carnival rides, games, food vendors and live entertainment throughout the festival. Bands are scheduled to perform every Friday and Saturday night, including Los Gringos, OCD, Flip’n Nipsy and Kings of the D.
Darren Lee, general manager of The Wrigley Center, said the idea for the event came directly from community demand.
“People talked about, ‘Oh, I can remember how they used to have carnivals. They would last for a couple weeks. They would always be right downtown. And we haven’t seen that in years,’” Lee said. “Our response to that was, ‘Let’s see what it takes to put together a carnival.’”
Lee said organizers were able to move forward after connecting with Joe Nieporte, owner of Funfest Events, and Big Rock Amusements, a carnival company providing the rides and midway attractions.
“As luck would have it, I have a friend who owns a carnival company,” Lee said. “Had open dates for just the time I wanted it.”
Riverfest will open at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 4 before continuing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays beginning at noon. The carnival will be closed Monday, June 8 and Tuesday, June 9. Organizers will also host a family day on Wednesday, June 10 featuring half-off ride passes. The festival will conclude Sunday, June 14.
Along with carnival rides and games, the festival will include food and beverage vendors including DB Harrington Pizza and Smoke On The Water BBQ & Catering.
“We’re getting ready to throw one heck of a party,” Lee said.
Nieporte, who has organized festivals throughout Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, said bringing a large carnival back to Port Huron is especially meaningful because of his ties to the area.
“There hasn’t been a major carnival in Port Huron in over a decade,” Nieporte said.
Nieporte, who lives in Marysville, said he considers the event a hometown festival.
“Anything that happens positively in this county, I’m all for,” Nieporte said. “I think that this is going to be a very positive, great event for families from all over St. Clair County.”
Organizers said the waterfront setting was another major draw for hosting the event at Desmond Landing.
“When you put it on the waterfront like that, it’s just a beautiful background,” Nieporte said. “It really shows off what the city has to offer.”
Sarah LaForge, event and marketing specialist for The Wrigley Center, said the event has been in planning for some time and organizers worked to address safety, parking and logistics ahead of opening day.
The entire festival footprint will be fenced in with a single entrance and exit. Organizers said licensed security personnel and police officers will be on site during the event. A curfew will begin at 10 p.m. for anyone younger than 16 unless accompanied by an adult.
Free parking for the event will be available on nearby streets, including Court Street and Third Street. Organizers also noted alcohol purchased at the festival must remain inside designated areas and outside food and drinks will not be permitted.
LaForge said the return of a large-scale carnival to Port Huron has already generated excitement from longtime residents.
“Having this capacity of a carnival and a festival come back, these are things that I remember growing up and it’s been dearly missed by so many people,” LaForge said.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Boy Scouts of America, the Lions Club and The Wrigley Foundation, which organizers said was recently created to help support future community events and programming.
Lee said organizers hope Riverfest becomes an annual kickoff to summer in downtown Port Huron.
“This is not a one-time thing,” Lee said. “This is an annual festival for Port Huron.”
Riverfest 2026
Contact reporter Andy Jeffrey at ajeffrey@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Carnival rides returning to Port Huron waterfront with Riverfest
Reporting by Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
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