If you've crossed the Scott Avenue bridge lately, you may have seen paddlers working the river below it. They aren't early visitors. They're experienced whitewater kayakers, engineers and whitewater park professionals working on behalf of ICON Water Trails to test the new wave and adjust it before the public can use it.
Construction of everything in the water at Principal Point is complete. That includes the adjustable waveshaper and a habitat channel for fish and wildlife, though tuning the wave is still underway. Even so, ICON's July 27, 2026 release says the whole site stays closed to the public until it officially opens in spring 2027. So this winter, the river downtown is mostly finished where you can't use it, and the parts you can use are on the banks.
What the Scott Avenue Site Still Needs
Most of what's left at Principal Point is on land. ICON lists a canoe and kayak launch, gathering spaces, trail connections, interpretive and wayfinding signs, and landscaping as the upland work still underway. ICON's Scott Avenue project page was last updated in September 2026. It expected that upland work to finish later this fall, followed by closeout and a spring 2027 opening.
One part of this project already pays off, even closed. Earlier phases reworked the low-head dam under the Scott Avenue bridge and removed the dangerous recirculating current that made that stretch of river hazardous. ICON still asks people to stay out of the site until it officially opens, and has said it will announce the opening and ribbon-cutting details next spring.
A Calendar That Runs Into 2028
Principal Point is the first of several pieces, and the rest come on a calendar that runs past next summer. In the Business Record, ICON Executive Director Stephanie Oppel said the river is "projected to be the second-most visited whitewater attraction in the country." That's ICON's own projection, and it won't be tested until these sites open.
| Site | Where things stand, fall 2026 | Next milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Harriet Street access | Construction completed in June 2026; ICON lists it among 21 active access sites | Serves as the main downstream takeout for the Downtown Run |
| Principal Point at Scott Avenue | In-river work done; wave being tuned; upland work continuing | Public opening in spring 2027 |
| Birdland Park and Marina | City Phase 1 under construction; ICON's marina work on schedule as of July | Phase 1A this winter, Phase 1B in spring 2027 |
| Prospect Park | About $1.5 million set aside for a more accessible boat ramp | Construction expected to start early 2027 |
| Hubbell Trailhead at Fleur Drive | Under construction; sheet piling installed | Completion in 2028 |
| Center Street | Design splits the existing drop into four smaller drops | Follows the other two whitewater sites |
The Hubbell date has moved. When ICON broke ground there in July 2025, it said both whitewater sites could be running as early as 2027. By August 2026, dsm magazine reported a spring 2028 opening target for Hubbell. ICON's Fleur Drive page also projects completion in 2028, with upland construction expected to start in early 2027. Center Street, the site closest to the middle of downtown, comes after both, and none of the published plans give it a construction date.
ICON's wider regional network kept growing this summer. Along with Harriet Street, it finished the Clive Greenbelt Landing Access, the Merle Hay Access in Johnston and the Colby Park Access in Windsor Heights. Those are the places to put in a boat in 2026. Downtown's turn comes later.
Birdland Spends the Winter Under Construction
On the north side, Birdland Park and Marina is in the middle of a $54.4 million city master plan for the 55-acre park, built in five phases. Phase 1A covers the area between Second and Sixth avenues. It moves the public boat launch closer to Second Avenue, adds a parking lot, raises the Neal Smith Trail to higher ground and connects the trail to Second Avenue. Phase 1B, north and east of Birdland Drive, brings an event lawn, a playground, restrooms, a synthetic ice rink and a bike safety training area.
The schedule in the August Business Record report has Phase 1A finishing this winter and Phase 1B in spring 2027. So Birdland's new synthetic rink won't be part of this skating season. Downtown's ice this winter is still at one place.
Brenton Skating Plaza Is Downtown's Ice for Now
Brenton Skating Plaza, at 520 Robert D. Ray Dr., has been open since 2006. The city describes its season as November through March. The city's events page lists an Opening Night on Nov. 20, from 5 to 11 p.m. It's free to attend, and regular skating admission applies.
Plan around that date loosely. Last season, a warm fall and then a snowstorm pushed the opening back to Dec. 1, 2025. The city's posted weather rules explain why. The rink closes for the day when temperatures reach 60 to 65 degrees, stays closed above 65 until the ice recovers, and also closes when most open hours are forecast below 5 degrees or with a wind chill below zero. The city offers text alerts for weather closures. Sign up for those before driving downtown with the kids' skates.
The city's admission table lists adults at $12, or $10 with the Des Moines resident discount. Kids 6 to 12 and seniors 60 and older pay $8, or $6 with the discount. Kids 5 and under pay $3, or $2. Skate rental is $6, or $5. Adult broomball runs on Sunday evenings from December through February, at $400 per team.
Five Fridays That Start at the Rink
Nov. 20 matters at Brenton whether or not the ice is ready. That's the opening night of the 25th annual Holiday Promenade, and the tree lighting with Santa happens at Brenton Skating Plaza at 6:30 p.m. Iowa State Bank presents the tree lighting, and a Grinch-themed drag story time at Storyhouse Bookpub starts at 5:30 p.m. The Historic East Village says more than 90,000 people came out for the Promenade last year.
The 2026 Promenade schedule runs on five Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m.:
- Nov. 20: Tree lighting with Santa
- Nov. 27: Window display contest
- Dec. 4: Very Merry Vino
- Dec. 11: A screening of Elf at Wooly's
- Dec. 18: Light Up the Night
A week into the Promenade, the second big holiday event sets up on the other side of the river. Christkindlmarket Des Moines is at Principal Park on Dec. 3 through 6 and Dec. 10 through 13.
The Parks That Are Already Finished
MidAmerican Energy Two Rivers Park, at 200 SE 2nd St., is the finished piece of riverfront that's easiest to overlook. The park covers nine acres that MidAmerican Energy owned for years and left mostly unused. The company still owns it, and Polk County Conservation runs it. The Des Moines Register reported its opening in October 2025, so this is the park's first full winter. It's open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless posted otherwise. The county describes native flowers and grasses planted among its modern structures.
At the other end of the Principal Riverwalk, Lauridsen Skatepark has been open since May 7, 2021. It covers 88,000 square feet and is the one long-established riverfront attraction in this lineup. Back in July, the Simon Estes Amphitheater held its first free concert in years. The city said it hopes to bring back more programming, including Nightfall, in 2027.
If a winter walk takes you north on the Neal Smith Trail, check its status before you go. In July 2026, the Des Moines Register reported that a sinkhole had again closed the boardwalk near Iowa Lutheran Hospital until further notice.
Here's how the season lines up. The ice at Brenton is expected sometime after Nov. 20, depending on the weather. The Promenade covers five Fridays through Dec. 18, and Christkindlmarket fills two December weekends. Two Rivers Park and Lauridsen are open now. The wave at Scott Avenue opens to the public in spring 2027, and Birdland's playground, event lawn and synthetic rink are due the same spring.
If you're thinking about a home where the riverfront projects will be part of everyday life, I'm glad to talk through where things stand and what the next few years of construction might mean for a particular part of town. Reach out to Dan Rozga and let's connect.
