Free family fun: Clark Park Winter Carnival returns to Detroit Saturday

Clark Park Winter Carnival, hockey games set for Saturday

Situated in southwest Detroit, Clark Park is one of the city's oldest and well-used recreation spaces with a spacious outdoor ice rink.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Clark Park Winter Carnival and Hockey Classic games are back for another year this Saturday, offering a variety of family-friendly entertainment at no cost – thanks to generous contributions from the community.

The carnival and hockey games will take place in Clark Park in Detroit. Food, women's and men's hockey games, music, carriage rides, a petting zoo, and more will be available.

Free Press columnist and former Fox 2 investigative reporter M.L. Elrick founded the charity hockey games portion of the event in 2015, alongside Detroit attorney Mike Rataj.

"I'm a terrible hockey player," Elrick said. "So I’ll never get paid to play hockey, but I'll pay to play hockey for a good cause."

Situated in southwest Detroit, Clark Park is one of the city's oldest and well-used recreation spaces with a spacious outdoor ice rink.

"This is a safe place, this is good place to be a kid," Elrick said.

On Saturday, January 20:

The carnival will take place from noon until 4 p.m.
The women's hockey game will start at 6 p.m.
The men's hockey game will start at 7:30 p.m.

Fundraisers such as the carnival and hockey event raise enough money to help the Clark Park Coalition non-profit provide southwest Detroit youth with year-long programs, nutrition, and resources.

"We’re going to have food, we're going to have beverages, there's going to be fire pits so you can stay warm and watch the game – and it’s a free event and it's another way to support your community," Elrick said. "It’s all about giving to the next generation and that’s why this is still going here after all these years."

To donate to Clark Park Coalition's programming, click here to donate.