Riverside Park at 575 Riverside Road has been a construction site since the City held its groundbreaking on Friday, March 13, 2026. The City expects it to reopen in Summer 2027. Until then the sprayground is closed and the Riverside Sounds concert series is on hold "until further notice." Roswell's own groundbreaking announcement describes the park as a place that hosted "concerts, festivals, and everyday recreation along the Chattahoochee River."
That one park did two jobs. It was where you put a kayak in the water, and it was where the town met up on a summer evening. With the park fenced off, those two jobs have gone to different parts of Roswell. The river traffic has moved to a string of smaller parks along Riverside Road and Azalea Drive, and to a newly rebuilt trail system across the water at Island Ford. The gatherings have moved uphill to the City Hall lawn and Historic Canton Street. If you know which half you're after this October, you know where to drive.
The river half went to Azalea Drive and Don White
The City's closure notice names two places to park instead: Ace Sand Park at 705 Riverside Road and Don White Memorial Park at 925(B) Riverside Road. It also says Azalea Park and River Landing are excluded as alternate parking. So the overflow from Riverside is being sent to Ace Sand and Don White, and the Azalea Drive lots stay available for people who are going to Azalea in the first place.
Here's what each of the remaining river spots offers, according to the City's facility pages:
| Spot | Address | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Azalea Park | 203 Azalea Drive | Canoe/kayak launch, fishing, picnic area, playground, restrooms, river access, walking trails |
| Don White Memorial Park | 925 Riverside Road | Canoe/kayak launch, fishing docks, outdoor fitness equipment, picnic area, restrooms, hiking and multi-use trails, volleyball court |
| River Landing | 245 Azalea Drive | Canoe/kayak launch, river observation deck; mainly a rentable venue for up to 180 people |
| Ace Sand Park | 705 Riverside Road | Named alternate parking; the river parks project site describes Riverwalk access and a gravel path beside the river |
Don White and Azalea also mark the two ends of the classic Roswell float. Nantahala Outdoor Center's tubing trip runs three to four hours from Don White Memorial Park down to Azalea Park. But NOC lists that trip as April through September, and its page shows no October tubing dates. NOC's Roswell outpost at Azalea Park offers river and bike activities, with hours that "vary seasonally." Call ahead before you plan a day around it.
That means October river time on this stretch is mostly paddling your own boat from the launches, fishing, or walking the trails. If you want a guide, River Through Atlanta runs Chattahoochee trout trips and says its guides fish the river year-round.
Island Ford is the bigger change this year
Island Ford sits just across the Chattahoochee from Roswell, in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. This year, and for reasons that have nothing to do with Riverside, it changed more than anywhere else on the river. The Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy reports that the Island Ford trails officially reopened on June 23, 2026, after a ribbon-cutting. Visitors now get 2.2 miles of new trail, more loop options, rehabilitated trail corridors, new pedestrian bridges, an improved trailhead and better drainage and erosion control. The Conservancy also says Island Ford was the first unit in the recreation area to put its Comprehensive Trails Management Plan into practice.
That's a lot of new trail to have opened up nearby in the same year Roswell's busiest riverfront park went behind a fence. The National Park Service has also filled October with programs. Park hours are sunrise to sunset, and the Island Ford Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the listed dates.
- Saturday, Oct. 10: Coffee With a Ranger at 9 a.m., the Badge Up, Pup B.A.R.K. Ranger program for dogs at noon, and "Skull Duggery" at 7 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 16: Twilight Bat Walk at 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 17: Critters of the Night at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 18: Blood Rock Ridge Loop Trail walk at 12:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Coffee With a Ranger at 9 a.m. and another B.A.R.K. Ranger session at noon.
- Sunday, Oct. 25: Island Ford "River Ramble" guided hike at 10:30 a.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 29: Painting With a Ranger at 5:30 p.m.
The NPS asks people to register early because programs can be canceled when too few sign up. One caution: the park's Current Conditions page was last updated November 13, 2025, so check it again before you head out.
Vickery Creek is open, with a firm line at the water
Closer to downtown, the designated trail system at Vickery Creek and Old Mill Park remains open. You can view the waterfall from the official platforms, but the City prohibits access to the waterfall itself and to the creek water. This is the river option for an hour on a weekday. Treat it as a place to look at the water, not a place to get into it.
More work is coming here too. In January 2026 the National Park Service approved access improvements for the Vickery Creek unit, including City trail, bridge and parking work. The approval gave no construction start date. The City has also put Vickery Creek Trail rehabilitation on its list of Tier 1 proposed TSPLOST projects, along with the East Roswell Loop Multi-Use Trail. Both depend on voters approving the measure on the November 3 ballot.
The gathering half moved uphill
Riverside Sounds is still on hold. Meanwhile, the City's 2026 Music on the Hill series held free concerts on the City Hall lawn from May through September, finishing with Nashville Nation on September 11. The City has not called it a replacement for Riverside Sounds. Even so, for the summer of 2026, City Hall is where Roswell's free outdoor concerts took place.
The festivals have landed in the same part of town. The Roswell Arts Festival celebrated its 60th year at City Hall on Sept. 19–20, and a $48,000 donation from the festival went toward park improvements. Those include two shade structures at East Roswell Dog Park and a gathering-space upgrade at Liberty Square Park. October keeps going from there:
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 10, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | 7th annual Roswell Motoring Festival | Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St. | Free |
| Thu., Oct. 15, 5–9 p.m. | Alive in Roswell, the last one of the 2026 season | Historic Canton Street and the Roswell Antique and Interiors Lot | Free |
| Sat.–Sun., Oct. 17–18, noon–5 p.m. | International Fall Festival | St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church, 1765 Woodstock Road | See church site |
Alive in Roswell runs on the third Thursday of each month from April through October, so October 15 is the final one until spring. Leashed dogs are allowed. The City also offers event alerts by text. Send ROSWELLEvent to 888777 for weather, traffic and safety updates during the festival.
Put the two calendars side by side and October 10 stands out. You could do Coffee With a Ranger at 9 a.m. and still get to the Motoring Festival at City Hall before it ends at 3.
Where to stop between the river and Canton Street
A few newer places sit along the route between the river parks and downtown. V's Coffee Collab opened its first brick-and-mortar shop in September at 34 Webb St., Suite 104. The 473-square-foot cafe roasts its coffee in-house and sells bags of it alongside work by local artists. On Canton Street, Truth Be Told at 1104 Canton St. refreshed its American-French dinner menu, moved to a more relaxed style of service and started Sunday brunch on Aug. 9. Corner Sushi & Hibachi showed up on Rough Draft Atlanta's list of August restaurant openings. You'll find it at 1425 Market Blvd., Suite 1370.
One more is on the way, though it's a long way off. Hal's "The Steakhouse" has announced its first suburban location at 4 Elizabeth Way, at the corner of Canton Street, with a rooftop patio and valet. It's targeting spring 2027. As of the Roswell Ledger's Aug. 28 report, no groundbreaking, permit hearing or construction milestone had been announced.
What's coming on Riverside Road itself
The closure notice for the park says the park closure itself shouldn't interrupt traffic and that pedestrian routes will stay open. A separate project will change the road. On July 13, City Council approved a $9.49 million construction contract for the $10.72 million Riverside Road corridor project. It covers a multiuse trail, sidewalk, bike lanes, a roundabout and new crossings from SR 9 to Old Alabama Road. The City's July update places the roundabout at River Lake Drive and a signal at Taimen Drive. It warns of periodic lane closures, temporary traffic shifts and work zones once the contractor mobilizes, but it gives no start date or schedule.
So the road you use to reach Don White and Ace Sand this fall is likely to get work zones before Riverside Park reopens. The Riverside Park renovation is part of the City's River Parks Master Plan, which the City describes as building toward a "more connected network" of river parks. Its closure notice still gives Summer 2027 as the reopening date.
Do you have a favorite put-in on Azalea Drive, or a trail at Island Ford you've already claimed? Manny would love to hear it, and he's always glad to swap notes on how Roswell's river parks are changing. Mano Sells Homes is a few minutes away when you want to talk about life along the Chattahoochee. Let's connect.
