"Almost immediately, the park was completely full," Josh Hulst told WOOD TV after the August 25 ribbon-cutting at Covered Bridge Park. Hulst chairs Ada Township's parks, recreation and land preservation committee. The first rush was easy to predict. A new splash pad on a warm August Tuesday will draw a crowd in any town.
October is a better test. The splash pad season is winding down, the Tuesday market is in its last weeks, and the Village's busiest night of the year is coming up. The fall calendar shows that the township built more than a summer playground on the old Leonard Field. The park reaches both banks of the Thornapple, and the historic covered bridge now connects them. This season, events are planned to cross it.
Two Banks, One Park
The project took about a year. Construction started in September 2025, and the 15-acre park opened in late August 2026. FOX 17 reported that public and private money paid for it, including an $8.5 million capital campaign. The township calls that private effort the Connecting Community Campaign and says it launched in 2024.
Each side of the river serves a different purpose:
| Covered Bridge Park – South | Covered Bridge Park – North | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 7490 Thornapple River Drive SE | 590 River Street SE |
| Feel | Active, recreational | Quieter, reflective |
| Main features | Playground with separate areas for younger and older kids, splash pad, covered pavilion with 10 picnic tables, two pickleball courts, small enclosed dog park, river overlook deck, large grass area | Ada Veterans Memorial, passive green space, river overlook next to the covered bridge |
| Year-round amenity | Indoor restrooms with an accessible adult changing station | Riverfront views south toward the South side |
The North side held its first big moment before the park officially opened. The Veterans Memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day 2026 as part of Ada's observance of America's 250th anniversary. The overlook beside it looks south across the river toward the playground and pavilion. The bridge used to be a landmark you looked at from either bank. Now it's the walk between two halves of a single park. Both halves are open daily from dawn to dusk.
October 23: The Route Runs Over the Bridge
Pumpkin Prowl is the clearest sign of how the park changes a Village evening. The Ada Business Association has scheduled it for Friday, October 23, from 5 to 8 p.m. The ABA bills it as the largest family-friendly Halloween event of the year in Ada. River Street will be closed to traffic for trick-or-treating, and candy stops extend into the JH Realty/Dixon Lot and across the Village. Inflatable decorations from Tommy's Express Carwash will be set up along the way.
The new pieces this year all point toward the river. Here's the evening in order, based on the ABA's listing:
- 1:30 to 6 p.m. The Versiti Blood Bus parks in the Fifth Third Bank lot. Appointments are preferred and walk-ins are welcome.
- 5 p.m. Trick-or-treating opens on River Street and around the Village.
- During the Prowl. A yellow brick road leads to the Ada Covered Bridge, renamed the "Bridge to Oz" for the night. Ballroom Dance Ada performs swing dances, and Avant Theatre Group plays Oz characters along the way.
- 7:45 p.m. Hocus Pocus starts at Covered Bridge Park – South, hosted by Ada Parks & Recreation. Bring blankets and chairs.
The screening is free. One calendar detail could trip you up. The township's events page lists the movie on "Saturday, October 23." October 23, 2026 is a Friday, which matches the ABA's date for the whole event. Plan on Friday night.
Put together, the night starts on River Street, goes over the covered bridge and ends with a movie on the South lawn. Before this year, the Prowl had no space like that on the far bank to end in. The old Leonard Field site now has a pavilion, open lawn and year-round restrooms, which is what a crowd needs at the end of a three-hour walk.
What Stays Useful After the Splash Pad Season
Ada Township lists the splash pad as seasonal, with current hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Its park page doesn't give a closing date. Check before you promise anyone water play on a cool afternoon.
Most of the rest of the South side doesn't depend on the season. The restrooms are described as year-round. The dog park is synthetic turf throughout, and synthetic turf also surrounds the splash pad. The two pickleball courts are open for public recreational play, and the 10-table pavilion gives you cover when the weather turns. The township hasn't published a winter schedule for the courts or the dog park, so don't assume either one closes.
Township-wide park rules cover the rest of an ordinary visit:
- Outside the dog park, pets must be on a leash no longer than six feet, and owners must clean up after them.
- Picnic groups of 20 or more may need a reservation and permit, and special events need approval and a permit.
The township's shelter rental page currently covers reservable shelters at Ada Park and doesn't describe a booking process for the Covered Bridge Park pavilion. If you're planning a birthday or team party there, call Parks & Recreation first.
Folding the Park Into a Village Evening
The park's South entrance sits on Thornapple River Drive, the same road as the Ada Farmers Market. The market runs Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Community Church parking lot at 7239 Thornapple River Drive, and its last day this season is October 27. That leaves four market Tuesdays as of this writing: October 6, 13, 20 and 27.
Food stops within an easy walk of the bridge include a few that are confirmed operating this year:
- Love's Ice Cream & Chocolate, 7333 Bronson St. Love's opened its Ada shop in mid-May 2026. Crain's Grand Rapids reported it would run year-round as a scoop shop, part of Love's expansion beyond its original Downtown Market location. A year-round scoop shop near a park built for year-round use works well in November.
- MudPenny, 496 Ada Dr. SE. It's open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. It hosts a $50 Wine & Canvas night on Friday, October 16, from 5 to 8 p.m.
- The Post Tavern and RIX Common House, 7415 River St. SE. Both are inside the Ada Hotel on River Street, a short walk from the North side.
The Rest of the Calendar, Through the Santa Parade
The park's first fall runs straight into the Village's late-season dates. The Ada Business Association's 2026 events calendar and Ada Parks & Recreation list:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Oct. 27 | Final Ada Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 7239 Thornapple River Drive |
| Tuesday, Nov. 10 | Brews & Dudes Night, 5 to 8 p.m. | Ada Village |
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | Cards for a Cause Euchre Tournament, check-in 12:30 p.m., first match 1 p.m. | Roselle Park Resource Building |
| Friday, Dec. 4 | Tinsel, Treats & Trolleys, 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. | Ada Village |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Santa Parade, 10 a.m. | Ada Village |
None of the December listings names Covered Bridge Park as a venue, and the township hasn't announced ice skating or a holiday light display at the park for 2026. The park's address puts it right where those Village events happen, and the restrooms on the South side stay open after the splash pad shuts down. Pumpkin Prowl is the first Village event to schedule part of its night on the South lawn. The December calendars haven't said whether the next ones will.
If the new park has you thinking about how a walk-to-the-bridge location affects a home's value on either side of the Thornapple, Bryan Anderson can help you weigh it with local sales, not guesswork. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, then let's talk about what Covered Bridge Park means for your street.
