McGovern and Lincoln Park host simultaneous celebrations!
September 23, 2025 | Topics: Places
By Jerica Fehr and Sally Callan
With photography and an introduction by Eddee Daniel
Introduction
I was torn. I had committed myself to representing Preserve Our Parks at a table in McGovern Park. But I also wanted to get photos of the Canoemobile in Lincoln. Both events were being held at the same time on Saturday, Sept. 13. Well, as you can see below, I made it to both after all, thanks to my fellow board member, Laurie Muench. And the fact that the two parks are not far apart. And then I got lucky! After an hour or so at McGovern, I took off for Lincoln, arriving just in time to see one of the ten-person canoes embark on their tour of the Milwaukee River in Lincoln Park. I want to thank the two authors, who helped organize their respective events, for their thoughtful stories to go with the photos I took.
The McGovern Senior Center, site of so much controversy last spring, as covered in our blog post, was unfortunately closed due to flooding during the 1,000-year flood in August. But Preserve Our Parks celebrates the efforts of the community, which made it possible for McGovern Park to remain residential-free.
~ Eddee
McGovern Park Celebration by Jerica Fehr
On September 13, as dreary skies and intermittent storms cast a shadow over McGovern Park, many people came together to celebrate the joy of community and place at the second Annual McGovern Park Celebration. Despite the soggy morning, volunteers and partner organizations pressed forward with setting up the event, reminding us that community is not simply about gathering in ideal conditions but about showing up for one another regardless of the circumstances.
As the geese honked from the pond, they seemed to announce the breaking of the slate-gray clouds and the welcoming of the sun. The shift in weather mirrored the spirit of the day, hopeful and alive. Slowly, people from the surrounding neighborhood trickled in to enjoy music, food, and games in the park. Children romped in the bounce house, were transformed into butterflies, lions, and other characters through face paint, blew bubbles, and played yard games. Families fished on the steps of the McGovern Park Lagoon and rode bicycles through the park, courtesy of Bubblr Bikes. Lively music blanketed the scene, adding to the carefree and unworried spirit of the experience.
This celebration represented transition in more ways than one. As we move from summer into fall, with its crisp air and vibrant colors, we also transition as a community, adapting to challenges, embracing new opportunities, and deepening our connections with each other and with the places we share. McGovern Park itself holds a long history of gathering, play, and renewal, and this event reaffirmed the importance of stewarding our shared spaces.
This community is not static. It thrives on collective energy, generosity, and the willingness to work together for the common good. Each action was a thread woven into the larger fabric of belonging. Events like these remind us that while the seasons may change, the strength of community carries us forward, grounding us in place while opening us to growth.
Thank you to our Partners, Organizations, and Volunteers for your contributions:
Bubblr Bikes, Employ Milwaukee Inc., Havenwoods State Forest/WIDNR, Milwaukee County Parks, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Milwaukee Parks Foundation, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Nearby Nature Milwaukee, Preserve Our Parks, Serving Older Adults.
See you next year!
Canoemobile at Lincoln Park by Sally Callan
For the last four years, Lincoln Park’s boat landing has been a September stopping point for six ten-person canoes aboard the Canoemobile. They are from Wilderness Inquiry in Minneapolis MN. They bring all the boats, life jackets, paddles, their paddling skills, and a lot of practice at having and sharing good fun. They offer a free canoe ride on the Milwaukee River in Lincoln Park. No skills are required, only the promise that you will wear your life jacket, won’t stand up in the boat, paddle when asked, and have fun. They teach neighbors about the water, the canoe, and how to paddle with nine new friends. They give the canoe riders a chance sit in a canoe and just look at their river from a different viewpoint. For many participants it is their first time in a canoe or on the water. The Wilderness Inquiry staff make it easy, safe and doable.
Wilderness Inquiry partners here in Milwaukee with the Area of Concerns/Community Advisory Committee, Bureau of Land Management, Friends of Lincoln Park, Milwaukee County Parks, Milwaukee Riverkeeper and Sturgeon Protectors, Nearby Nature, and Restoring Lands.
While folks wait for their turn in the canoe, we have tables with resources on water and public lands protection, Park maps and activities, pollinator gardens and community resources. To protect our waters, our lands and ourselves, we try to stay as plastic free as possible. We have snacks, aluminum water bottles and a water pump. This year we had cloth bags that could be decorated and used for the day’s resources and for future adventures.
We are so thankful for Wilderness Inquiry for giving our community an opportunity to see the power and the beauty of our waters from a safe vantage on the water.
Keep an eye open for September 2026 when the Canoemobile should be returning to Lincoln Park.
For more information about the two parks go to the McGovern Park and Lincoln Park pages on our website.
Jerica Fehr is Community Engagement Consultant for Milwaukee Parks Foundation. Sally Callan is Co-chair of Friends of Lincoln Park. Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks.
Milwaukee County Parks, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and Milwaukee Riverkeeper are project partners of A Wealth of Nature.
About Preserve Our Parks
Preserve Our Parks, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks and green spaces. Our mission: To advocate for and promote Milwaukee area parks and open spaces and to strive to protect the tenets of Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine.
For more than 25 years, we have been a leader in advocating for the protection of Milwaukee County park lands, halting many proposals to develop, privatize, or sell local parkland and lakefront spaces. More information about POP, including past accomplishments, is available at www.preserveourparks.org.