Ritter Park

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Ritter Park
The Ritter Park Arches in 2015.
Location910 13th Ave, Huntington, West Virginia 25701
Opened1913
FounderRufus Switzer
DesignerGus Wofford
Owned byGreater Huntington Parks and Recreation District
WebsiteOfficial Website
The Ritter Park Fountain in 2006.

Ritter Park is a public park in Huntington, West Virginia. Ritter Park, also known as the heart of Huntington,[1] is operated and owned by the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District.[2]

History

In 1908, Rufus Switzer, the future mayor of Huntington, pushed the city to purchase 75 acres of land on 13th Avenue to construct Ritter Park. Five years later in 1913, the park opened to the public.[3] The park was named after lumberman, Charles Ritter, who donated 20 acres of land for the creation of the park.[4]

In 2011, Huntington won the Bark for Your Park contest, hosted by PetSafe, and won a grand prize of $100,000 for the construction of Huntington's Petsafe Dog Park which later opened in 2012.[5]

In 2017, Huntington put aside $236,000 to reconstruct the Ritter Park Playground. Before this, the playground was built in 1987 with an Alice in Wonderland design, the new remodel now has a woodland forest design.[6]

Amenities

Events and fairs

Ritter Park is home to numerous events and fairs throughout the year.

Name Date Description Reference
Art in the Park First Weekend in June An arts market and festival from local artists. [11]
Funktafest Second Saturday in October A music and arts festival, held in the Ritter Park Ampitheatre. [12]
Graffiti in the Park Car Show Second Saturday in June An annual car show, that emphasizes on car paints and wraps. [13]
Huntington Music & Arts Festival Last Saturday in September Festival centered around local and regional music and visual artists, held in the Ritter Park Ampitheatre. [14]
Ritter Park Days Weekends in July and August. Features children-based activities and programs.
Paws in the Park Easter Egg Hunt The day before Easter Sunday A dog-friendly easter egg hunt, that has been held since 1935. [15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "City of Huntington, Ritter Park". City of Huntington.
  2. ^ "GHRP, Ritter Park". Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "Ritter Park: Huntington, West Virginia". American Planning Association. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "Sept. 11, 1913: Huntington's Ritter Park Opens to the Public". WV Public Broadcasting. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "Huntington, W. Va., Wins $100,000 in PetSafe 'Bark For Your Park' Contest". PetSafe. February 18, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  6. ^ Klein, Dan (June 8, 2017). "New Ritter Park playground still two-plus months away". WSAZ. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "Ritter Park Trail Map". Outside (company). Retrieved July 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Pickleball in Ritter Park". Pickleheads. Retrieved July 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Justice, Joe (December 9, 2023). "Ritter Park - Mountaineer Meedia". Mountaineer Media. Retrieved July 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "Ritter Park Tennis Courts". Global Tennis Network. Retrieved July 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "Art in the Park, Ritter Park". Visit Huntington. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  12. ^ "Funktafest". Funktafest. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  13. ^ "'Graffiti in the Park' car show revs up Ritter". Herald Dispatch. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  14. ^ "Huntington Music and Arts Festival". Huntington Music and Arts. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  15. ^ "Paws in the Park, GHRPD hosts annual dog-friendly easter egg hunt". Herald Dispatch. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
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