Huizenga Park offers activities for people and dogs alike
by Hannah Spence
Since its revitalization earlier this year, Fort Lauderdale’s Huizenga Pak has welcomed thousands of visitors of all ages, as well as their furry friends.
From people practicing sunrise yoga to dogs having leisure get-togethers, the recently reopened Huizenga Park has quickly become one of Fort Lauderdale’s busiest communal backyards.
Named after the renowned South Florida entrepreneur and philanthropist Wayne Huizenga, the park was originally built in the late 90s with the intention of being a fun space to entice downtown employees to stay and enjoy activities such as barbecue fests and 5k runs.
Huizenga Park officially reopened in January following a two-year, $15 million redesign made possible by donors such as Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, the Community Foundation of Broward, and the Cleveland Clinic. The civic hub is 3.6 acres and currently offers over 100 initiatives that are free and available to everyone.
“This project of the DDA is really special to my team as a whole and me because it really showcases in real life the impact you can make to a city through investment in the parks and public space,” said the President and CEO of Fort Lauderdale Developmental Authority (DDA), Jenni Morejon. “It’s always our intention to make it a place you could go to every single day, and you would have a new experience.”
According to Morejon, the park offers almost 160 unique programs. These include a biweekly community market, trivia night, and poetry under the stars. The standout is the park’s signature movie night series which features living-room-style seating, themed experiences, and a curated selection of activities. For example, a pet costume contest coincided with a screening of The Secret Life of Pets.
Many of Huizenga’s programs are dog friendly. The park is home to The Dog Spot, Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s only dedicated space for dogs along Las Olas Boulevard, offering a welcoming, thoughtfully designed area where pets and their owners can gather, play, and connect. Guests are encouraged to bring their four-legged friends to the park’s happenings, provided they always remain leashed outside of The Dog Spot. Recently, the park launched dog-themed fitness classes timed around its weekly Yappy Hours, creating a fun, social way for pet owners to stay active alongside their dogs while strengthening the sense of community that defines Huizenga Park.
“There are some people who bring their dog religiously every single morning, and maybe they have that same experience every day, but they’re always going to see different people in the park,” said Morejon.
Mr. Smash Burgers serves as Huizenga Park’s inaugural concessionaire, anchoring the space with creative twists on the classic burger, including its popular chicken smash burger. The park’s culinary lineup expands this fall with Sweetwaters, a full-service restaurant managed by the team behind Miami’s iconic Rusty Pelican. This addition will elevate the destination’s status as Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s signature park, creating a vibrant waterfront hub where visitors can gather, dine, and unwind along the New River.
For guests?driving into downtown, public parking?is available just a short walk from?Huizenga?Park at locations such as Riverwalk Center Garage and on-street parking on SE First Avenue. ?Visitors can also arrive by?Water Trolley. Huizenga Park is located at Stop #2. Huizenga Park is also a ten-minute walk from Brightline’s?Fort Lauderdale station.?
Huizenga Park is managed by an independent board of commercial property owners, operating separately from city or county control. Transforming Huizenga Park taught Morejon and her team that sustaining such spaces requires a mix of public, private, and philanthropic funding. According to her, donors have, to date, contributed a total of eight million dollars towards sustaining programs.
“Investments in parks are invaluable,” said Morejon. “They’re forever if done right. This is a public space that will be here for generations to come. And when you give community members a memorable experience, it instills pride in the community and a sense of togetherness that’s needed probably now more than ever.”
