Franklin’s whitewater park officially opens to kick off weekend-long c

Concord Monitor | David Brooks | June 16, 2022

It’s been a long time coming but the first whitewater park in New England will be officially opened Friday – not that the lack of ribbon-cutting has kept kayakers from trying it out for months.

On Friday at 4 p.m., a celebration will be held Trestle View Park marking the completion of phase one of Mill City Park, kicking off a weekend-long celebration that will include music, food and, of course, whitewater paddling on the Winnipesaukee River.

It’s been six years since business folk and elected officials set up a task force to revitalize Franklin, which has never recovered from the loss of the water-powered mills that led to its creation in the 19th century. The whitewater park was quickly seen as one of the pillars of the effort, based on similar projects out West that became magnets for visitors and spurred downtown development. Years of fund-raising, grant applications, publicity, design and planning followed, leading to construction that began last year.

Eventually, three whitewater features will be built – a standing wave and two holes – with viewing areas along the river bank. While only the standing wave exists at the moment, Franklin has already changed with the creation of whitewater-specific businesses as well as a coffee shop, one microbrewery with another on the way, and several new restaurants including a Jewish-Asian fusion take-out spot and a soon-to-open crepe shop. Most importantly, the city has seen the construction of scores of new apartments and condos including something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago: Very high-end condos, costing more than half a million dollars, in the upper floors of downtown buildings.

Friday’s celebration will include comments from team members, elected officials and funding partners about this public-private partnership between the city of Franklin, non-profit Mill City Park, and many volunteers and residents.

“Originally, I thought we were building surf waves. We are actually rebuilding our community’s sustainability, quality of life, and pride,” said Marty Parichand, executive director of the Mill City Park and downtown business owner who was one of the main drivers for the project.

The ceremony will kick off the annual Winni River Days celebration with events for the entire family. For more information, see https://www.millcitypark.com/

Photo by: Jon Decker

Marty Parichand demonstrates paddling through the whitewater at Mill City Park in downtown Franklin. Photo by Jon Decker

Two workers guide an excavator operator over the last portion of the concrete, rebar and stone boxes part of the 10-feet wide and 8-feet tall area in the Winnipesaukee River for the Mill City Park at Franklin Falls rafting area in downtown Franklin on Monday, December 6, 2021. Photo by: GEOFF FORESTER

Excavators operator work on the last portion of the concrete, rebar and stone boxes part of the 10-feet wide and 8-feet tall area in the Winnipesaukee River for the Mill City Park at Franklin Falls rafting area in downtown Franklin on Monday, December 6, 2021. Photo by: GEOFF FORESTER

An overall of the Winnipesaukee River and the Mill City Park at Franklin Falls rafting area in downtown Franklin on Monday, December 6, 2021. Photo by: GEOFF FORESTER

Jeremey Laucks, board member of the Mill City Park at Franklin Falls, takes a whitewater ride before the opening festivites in downtown Franklin on Monday November 6, 2017. “The Rise of Franklin Falls” event brought city and civic leaders together to celebrate the water park. Photo by: GEOFF FORESTER