Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale’s 2025-2026 Event Season Commences With The Ninth Annual Riverwalk Fall Festival On Saturday, October 18

Posted on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 by Jeremy

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – September 19, 2025 – The flavors of fall will return to Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk as Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale, one of the preeminent producers of free, public programming in Broward County, launches its event season with the ninth annual Riverwalk Fall Festival on Saturday, October 18 from 12 pm to 4 pm at Esplanade Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Fall Festival will feature opportunities to participate in pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling, sand art and other games and activities. Attendees 21 and over will be able to enjoy fall-inspired beverages at the Riverwalk Bar tent. Entrance to the event is free, and proceeds from sponsorships, games and bar sales benefit Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale, one of the lead organizations in making Fort Lauderdale’s downtown Riverwalk District the foremost place to Live, Work and Play. Other highlights of the event include fall-related science demonstrations by the Museum of Discovery & Science, curated food trucks, arts and craft and informational vendors.

Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that works to build a more vibrant downtown community, centered on the iconic Riverwalk Linear Park. In 2025, Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk was voted #7 Best Riverwalk in the 10Best People’s Choice Awards from USA Today. In its 2024-2025 event season, Riverwalk delivered 25 free, public events, from small concerts as part of the Tunes on Top series at Tunnel Top Plaza to the 15^th annual Riverwalk Stone Crab & Seafood Festival, also including partnered events such as the 15^th annual Florida Day of the Dead Celebration. Tens of thousands of residents and visitors were able to attend these festivals with no cost of admission, generating funds for Riverwalk and creating a broad economic impact for local businesses.

“The Fall Festival is one of our long-running events where the community can enjoy a day in the park with traditional fall entertainment and no cost for admission, “said Riverwalk president and CEO Genia Duncan Ellis. “It is one of Riverwalk’s primary goals, to keep activating our downtown and the downtown parks by delivering free, public events for the entire community to enjoy.”

Riverwalk would not be able to continue delivering free, public events and programming to the community without the generous support of its sponsors. The 9^th annual Riverwalk Fall Festival is sponsored by: Galleria Fort Lauderdale, FHIA, Rick and Flo Celender, Morningstar Storage – FAT Village, S. Mark Graphics and Go Riverwalk Magazine.

Riverwalk’s 2025-2026 event season will continue with:

Downtown Day of the Dead – Saturday, November 1, 2025 – 3 pm to 8 pm – Esplanade Park/SW 2^nd St/Riverwalk, followed by the Day of the Dead Street Festival at Revolution Live/SW 3^rd Ave
Light Up Lauderdale (Get Lit) – Thursday, November 6, 2025 – 6 pm to 8:30 pm – Esplanade Park
5^th Annual Riverwalk International Food Festival – Saturday, November 15, 2025 – 12 pm to 4 pm – Esplanade Park
Riverwalk Holiday Lights Cruise* – Monday, December 8, 2025 – 5 pm to 7 pm – Laura Ward Riverwalk Plaza
16^th Annual Riverwalk Stone Crab & Seafood Festival – Saturday, January 3, 2026 – 11 am to 4 pm – Esplanade Park

*Ticketed event.

Information on these upcoming Riverwalk Signature Events and other events is available at GoRiverwalk.com/signature. Information about the remainder of the 2025-2026 event season will be published in the coming weeks.

For information about sponsor and vendor opportunities at Riverwalk events email events@GoRiverwalk.com. Riverwalk is supported by Corporate and Community Partners, as well as individual event and program sponsors and in-kind donors. Corporate Partners contribute a minimum of $2,500 per year to support Riverwalk’s mission, while a broad network of community partners engage with Riverwalk to help support its mission. A current listing of partner organizations and individuals is available at GoRiverwalk.com/partner. For information on partnering with Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale email Jeremy Collette, Vice President at jeremy@GoRiverwalk.com.

Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale – #7 “Best Riverwalk”

Posted on April 22, 2025April 22, 2025 by Jeremy

In April 2025, Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale was voted as the 7th “Best Riverwalk” in the US in the USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice! This is Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale’s first time being included in the this prestigious group of national public parks, and with 20 nominees Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk placed in the top 10! Thank you to our supporters who contributed to this important acknowledgement with their votes! For more information on the 2025 10 Best “Best Riverwalk” honorees click here.

Tunes On Top

Posted on April 4, 2025May 27, 2025 by Jeremy

Wednesdays and Fridays
April 9 through May 30
12 pm – 1:30 pm

Tunnel Top Park
E. Las Olas Blvd & SE 6th Ave

Sponsored by: Andare Residences, Terra Group and CORE Construction.
Hosted by: Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale
In Partnership With:
City of Fort Lauderdale, the Las Olas Association and
Las Olas Capital Arts.

Tunes on Top is a new, weekly music series featuring local musicians in April and May on Wednesdays and Fridays at Tunnel Top Plaza on Las Olas. Sponsored by Andare Residences, Terra Group and CORE Construction and hosted by Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale in partnership with Las Olas Capital Arts, the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Las Olas Association, this music series will brighten your weekday lunches.

Tentative Schedule:
Wednesday 4/9 – Jonny Edwards
Friday 4/11 – Sebastian Ceballos
Wednesday 4/16 –Jeff Durham
Friday 4/18 – Danny Garcia
Wednesday 4/23 – Arthur Granquist
Friday 4/25 – Jonny Edwards
Wednesday 4/30 – Chris Monteleone
Friday 5/2 – Jeff Durham
Wednesday 5/7 – Mike Daly
Friday 5/9 – Dyllan Thieme
Wednesday 5/14 – Danny Garcia
Friday 5/16 – Sebastian Ceballos
Wednesday 5/21 – Dyllan Thieme
Friday 5/23 – Mike Daly
Wednesday 5/28 – Chris Monteleone
Friday 5/30 – Jesus Tres

Bring a chair and your lunch, or find a spot to perch for a few minutes as we bring some great entertainment to Las Olas!

For information on downtown parking and transportation visit GoRiverwalk.com/transportation.

Vote for Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale!

Posted on March 10, 2025March 11, 2025 by Jeremy

Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale has been nominated for the 2025 USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Award for Best Riverwalk! Voting begins on Monday, March 10th at noon EDT and ends on Monday, April 7th at 11:59am EDT. The top 10 winners, as ranked by USA TODAY 10Best readers, will be announced on Wednesday, April 16th at noon EDT.

Click here to for vote for Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale!

Call to Artists

Posted on February 5, 2025July 14, 2025 by Jeremy

The 2025 Riverwalk Call to Artists celebrated Riverwalk and downtown Fort Lauderdale

Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale celebrates local artists and the beautiful work they provide. Artists were asked to share their view of the areas for activities both active and passive, architecture, water events and more.

Two-dimensional and three -dimensional artwork of all mediums were invited to participate in the competition, including but not limited to watercolor, oil, sculpture, photography, charcoal, mixed media, drawing and gouache. The winning artwork was featured on the cover of July 2025 issue of Go Riverwalk Magazine.

“Riverwalk celebrates our local artist and art in public places. These artist and their talents, gift our city with cultural beauty.” says Genia Duncan Ellis, President/CEO of Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale.”

The River walk is a 2.5-mile brick walk on both sides of the New River, meandering through Downtown Fort Lauderdale . The Downtown Riverwalk District includes 10 parks as well as a lush tropical
waterfront in the downtown center of an urban metropolis.

**First place**
Sandy Doyle: *Enjoying the Riverwalk*

Michael Johnston – Member Profile May 2024

Posted on December 27, 2024March 26, 2025 by Jeremy

Michael Johnston – Trustee Member
Co-owner
Fit Factor Personal Training

At Fit Factor Personal Training, which I co-own with my partner Paulo Andalaft, we help people age well. Our clients range from their late 30s to their 90s. We work with healthy individuals as well as clients with different health issues/limitations, such as joint replacements, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and more.

Exercise should support what we need, love and dream about doing for the rest of our lives. Whatever their motivation and goals, we customize our client’s fitness goals at our newly renovated space overlooking the Middle River.

I attribute much of my professional success to exercise. After college graduation, I became serious about fitness to reduce stress and give me the energy to work in corporate America for the next 35 years. Anytime I traveled for work, which was extensive, I always stayed in hotels with a fitness facility. As I have evolved, fitness and eating well have always remained important. I just kept going and let nothing stand in my way, even after I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009.

It is never too late or too soon to start your fitness journey. Through exercise, we can live longer and live better.

We have a beautiful 2,700-square foot facility, with brand new state-of-art equipment, so come check us out.

We joined Riverwalk because, as a destination where you can live, work and play, it matches our values by encouraging people to be active.

October 2024 Power Mixer – Papageno’s Wine & Provisions

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 2024 by Jeremy

The last Riverwalk Power Mixer of 2024 was held at Papageno’s Wine & Provisions on October 21, 2024. Riverwalk Trustee and Executive Members along with Corporate Partners enjoyed a tasty assortment of wine and hors d’oeuvres curated from Papageno’s own unique selection. The event was sponsored by: Dynamix, Worth Avenue Yachts and Howard Eflman – The Agency.