"Party in the Park" celebrates Downtown Detroit, Campus Martius Park
(CBS DETROIT) - Dozens of business leaders, city and state officials joined in celebrating Downtown Detroit's advancements and Campus Martius Park.
"Party in the Park" is in its second year of celebrations. This year is a special one because it's the 20th birthday of Campus Martius Park. The event also serves as a time to fundraise for its organizer Downtown Detroit Partnership.
Event organizers say with the park situated in the heart of downtown, it's something that's been widely welcomed.
"Twenty years ago, a group of individuals led by Ethel Ford decided we needed to give something back to the city for its 300th birthday but give something back that actually lasted ... Twenty years later, it's full of people, it's full of excitement," said Eric Larson, CEO of Downtown Detroit Partnership.
Most recently, USA Today's 10 Best deemed Campus Martius Park No. 1 public square for 2023.
"It actually was a great signal that Detroit is back because – it wasn't just Campus Martius it was the Detroit River Front and The Institute of Arts," Larson said.
As America continues to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, life is on the rebound. Larson tells CBS News Detroit that about 50% of office workers are back in the office compared to pre-pandemic levels.
But the real rebound is in the amount of visitors to the city.
"We have over 35 million people that'll be in the downtown area just around these parks this year alone," Larson said.