Riverfront Park

Service Level: 1 

Rotation: 10 Days 

The park has numerous amenities including:

• Live Oak Bank Pavilion 
• Riverfront stage
• Riverfront lawn
• Performance lawn
• Back of stage/house facilities
• Great lawn
• Water feature & terrace
• Festival plaza
• Play area
• Outdoor rooms
• Urban gardens
• Box office
• Parks office
• Public restrooms 

General Park Hours
Open to the public from sunrise to sunset, except for during city-approved events/programs.

Water Feature Hours
April through October
Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Park Rental Hours
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday,  except for during city-approved events/programs.

Operating Hours for Amphitheater Events:

• Monday-Friday: 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. *No sound checks before 3 p.m. unless authorized by the City Manager or designee in writing prior to the event. 
• Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sundays: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

NOTE: If an amphitheater event is delayed or disrupted by unforeseeable circumstances or artist delay, the end time may be extended to midnight. Under no circumstances shall any concert event end later than midnight.

The East Garden and playground are open to the public daily, including concert dates. Please access these areas through the Nutt Street Promenade; directional signs will be out on concert dates.

Parking is available downtown on the street, parking decks and parking lots.

View information about downtown parking

Day of Event Parking for Live Oak Bank Pavilion

(PDF, 6MB)

Day of event parking for individuals with ADA placard

The drop off area for individuals with ADA placard is at the intersection of Harnett St and Nutt Street. This is directly in front of the entrance for the park. Patrons with valid accessible parking license plates or hanging tags may park for free at any on-street metered space for an unlimited time.  Patrons with a valid accessible parking license plate or hanging tag may also park in the off-street parking garages and surface lots for an unlimited time when paying the posted hourly rates.

Questions? Please call Parking Manager Chance Dunbar at 910-342-2786.

The City of Wilmington would like to thank the following park sponsors

All non-concert events (to be held at Riverfront Park/Live Oak Bank Pavilion) will be displayed below.

Cape Fear Latinos Festival - Saturday, September 26, 2026
Parade starts at 11am - Festival starts at 12pm and ends at 6pm.

Click here for more information.

Lighthouse Beer and Wine - Voracious Festival

Friday, October 23, 2026    6:00pm - 9:pm

Click here for more information.

Carosel Center - Lighthouse Beer and Wine Festival - Saturday, October 24, 12pm-5pm

Click here for more information.

Declaration of Dependence Tour with Will Graham - October 26, 2026   Event starts at Noon

Click here for more information.

Celebrate Downtown: People Projects, and Plans for the Future

Friday, October 30, 2026 - From 5pm to 6:30pm

Click here for more information.

Cape Fear Habitat Turkey Trot - Thanksgiving Day!

Thursday, November 26, 2026 6:45am - 9:30am

Click here for more information.

Annual Riverfront Park Christmas Tree Lighting - Thursday, December 3, 2026

More Details coming soon!

Wilmington Historic Half, 10K & 5K Marathon - Saturday, December 5th, 2026

Click here for more information.

Dashing Thru the Glow 5k - Saturday, December 12th, 2026

Click here for more information.

In 2013, the city purchased a 6.6-acre tract of land for the park along the northern downtown waterfront, near the Isabel Holmes Bridge. An extensive public input campaign was conducted to get feedback about what citizens wanted in the park. The input was used to develop the North Waterfront Park Master Plan(PDF, 7MB) (now Riverfront Park), approved by City Council in 2016.

• Park Designer: Hargreaves Jones
• Contractor: Clancy Theys
• Project Director: Amy Beatty
• Project Managers: Anne Ballweg, Denise Freund & Mike Naklicki

The park is partially funded by the voter-approved 2016 Parks Bond.

December 2020

The park received WEDG Certification.
News Story

Nov. 19, 2019 City Council Meeting 

• Watch the meeting

Nov. 5, 2018 City Council Agenda Briefing

• View the presentation for full details(PDF, 14MB)
• What a presentation from the Nov. 5 agenda briefing

April 16, 2018 City Council Meeting 

• View the presentation about design of the park(PDF, 6MB)
• View the final design/site plan of the park(PDF, 1MB)

March 2, 2015 Meeting - Public Input Results

• View the presentation outlining the results(PDF, 2MB)
• Watch the meeting

May 22, 2014 Public Input Meeting

• Watch the presentation from the May 22 public input meeting
• Read the presentation(PDF, 646KB)