On Saturday, Oct. 31, two things happen in South Haven on the same day. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., kids will be out for the city's trick-or-treat hours. Oct. 31 is also the last day the Dyckman Bridge has regular staff for the 2026 boating season. From Sunday, Nov. 1, the bridge opens only by request.
The City of South Haven posted the bridge change as a short operations notice. In practice it marks the end of the boating season. All summer the Black River channel set the town's schedule, because traffic waited whenever the bridge went up for boats. Once those openings become occasional, things move away from the water. This year that means two places with something new to offer. One is a five-acre dog park on the Kal-Haven Trail side of town. The other is a stretch of Phoenix Street with events that run from now until the Ice Breaker Festival in February.
The river hands off the schedule
Under the by-request rule, the bridge opens only when a boat asks for it. For anyone who drives across the river in November, that means fewer bridge waits than in any month since spring.
The city has more work finishing up at the same time. The Kalamazoo Street reconstruction from Blue Star Highway to Lovejoy Street started Aug. 17. The city's August announcement set a Nov. 8 completion date, and the street was closed to through traffic with access kept open for local businesses. If the work stays on schedule, Kalamazoo Street reopens the day after the first big shopping event of the off-season. The citywide Surf Internet construction is also finishing this fall. Over several weeks, crews are patching hardscape, restoring lawns, and resetting in-ground structures so they are no longer trip hazards, weather permitting. City crews started leaf pickup on Oct. 19 and plan to collect daily through Dec. 11, also weather permitting.
Riverwoods took over the outdoor routine in October
The new outdoor spot this fall is the South Haven Bark Park at Riverwoods. The South Haven Tribune reported that the public was invited to a ribbon cutting and dedication at noon on Oct. 15.
The park has a history. According to the Tribune, a small group of dog owners from South Haven's members-only Eighth Avenue Dog Park began meeting in late 2024. Their goal was a community dog park at Riverwoods that would be free and open to everyone. The site is part of the Riverwoods property of more than 50 acres that the South Haven Area Recreation Authority, SHARA, acquired next to the Kal-Haven Trail on Blue Star Highway. As a condition of that deal, the Michigan DNR required the land to be dedicated to outdoor recreation only.
The funding came in above the goal:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Original projected cost of the initial project | $150,000 to $180,000 |
| Cash gifts raised, Nov. 2025 through July 2026 | More than $200,000 |
| Included in that total: crowdfunding match from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation | $50,000 |
| In-kind gifts from area contractors and businesses | More than $50,000 |
Raising more than the projected cost let the volunteers go beyond what the Tribune calls the park's "Phase One aspirations." The finished park has separate fenced areas for large and small dogs, two water stations, a dozen benches, a walking path around the perimeter, a pavilion, and waste-bag stations, all under a stand of trees. The South Haven Area Community Foundation has also set up an endowment fund for the park, started with a $5,000 gift.
More is planned at Riverwoods. WSJM reported in August that SHARA plans a boardwalk to reconnect the Kal-Haven Trail to fishing areas and a kayak launch on the Black River. The project has a $400,000 state grant. Bids are expected in January, with construction targeted for spring 2027. A dog walk at Riverwoods this winter happens on land that will look different next year.
Phoenix Street carries the indoor half
Riverwoods covers the outdoor part of the off-season. A few blocks downtown cover the indoor part, and several of them have changed since last winter.
- All Good Things, 528 Phoenix St. Visit South Haven now lists the shop at this address, in the storefront Props used to occupy. Wilcox Newspapers reported the move from 202 Center St.
- Haven Market, 550 Phoenix St. The market moved to a fall schedule that keeps it open Thursday through Sunday. Its café serves Uncommon Roasters coffee. Its wine-and-bourbon tasting room takes drop-ins Friday from 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Seasonal hours can change, so check the market's site before a weekday trip.
- South Haven Center for the Arts, 600 Phoenix St. This is the venue for the Mistletoe Market, which starts Nov. 21.
- Boards and a Boutique, 269 Center St. A block off Phoenix, this board-game café and boutique was welcomed as a new South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce member, the Tribune reported. Its catalog has more than 180 games. According to its site, free tabletop play runs every Tuesday from 3 to 8 p.m.
The Tuesday game night is a useful find in a town where many places shorten their hours in winter. With Haven Market open Thursday through Sunday and the tasting room open Friday through Sunday, these few blocks have something going most days of the week.
The calendar from Shop 'Til You Drop to Ice Breaker
From early November on, the Phoenix Street area hosts nearly every event on the off-season calendar. The dates below run from the publish date of this post through February.
| Date | Event | Where and what |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7, 2026 | Shop 'Til You Drop | Downtown retailers; this year's theme is "Through The Billboard Top 100" |
| Nov. 21 to Dec. 13, 2026 | 40th Annual Mistletoe Market | South Haven Center for the Arts, 600 Phoenix St. |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 2026 | Holiday in the Haven | Parade at 5 p.m., then the Dyckman Park tree lighting and Santa photos starting at 5:30 p.m. |
| Feb. 5 to 7, 2027 | 33rd Annual Ice Breaker Festival | Downtown ice sculptures, a chili cook-off, skating, and more |
Shop 'Til You Drop is the first stop. Visit South Haven lists participating retailers with food, drinks, and specials. Shoppers collect stamps in a passport, and a prize afterparty follows. The listing gives no start or end times, so check the event's Facebook page, which is linked from the listing.
The Mistletoe Market is the longest event on the list. Its 40th season runs more than three weeks, from Nov. 21 through Dec. 13, at the Center for the Arts.
Holiday in the Haven takes place on Dec. 5, during the Mistletoe Market's run. The parade starts at 5 p.m. The evening then moves to Dyckman Park for the tree lighting, with Santa photos starting at 5:30 p.m.
The Chamber has already announced the 33rd Annual Ice Breaker Festival for Feb. 5 to 7, 2027. It brings ice sculptures downtown, along with a chili cook-off and skating. By then, SHARA expects to have put the Riverwoods boardwalk out to bid.
If the quieter months have you wondering what owning near Riverwoods or within walking distance of Phoenix Street looks like year-round, David Isljamovski can walk you through how South Haven's off-season shapes everyday life and a property's numbers. Let's Connect.
