Farmers markets, outdoor concerts, and beer gardens. Food trucks, splash pads, and pickup basketball games. Without a traditional downtown to act as the community’s anchor, Dodge Park in Sterling Heights serves as a true town square, a place where neighbors from all corners of the city can come together.

This summer, Thursdays at Dodge Park are an especially exciting time, with the Dodge Park Farmers Market, Music in the Park concert series, and the Patios n’ Pints beer garden at Upton House each occurring every week. As Tom Whittaker, program and events manager for the Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce told us, Thursday nights can be healing for a community locked down for much of the previous year. But with COVID-19 vaccines available and the summer weather in full effect, Thursdays at Dodge Park demonstrate just how eager people are to get out and enjoy life in the community once again.

We sent out photographer David Lewinski to capture just that. And did he ever.