Rollin’ on the River mississippi crossings now open

By Bethani Gerhard, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association

In the heart of the City of Champlin is a beautiful 16-acre park, Mississippi Crossings. It has a new event center, pavilion and outdoor performance area/amphitheater, playground, small dog-run area and trails right on the Mississippi River. The grand opening and ribbon-cutting took place in October 2022 and the event center has been open for rentals since then.

“The Mississippi Crossings area has been completely revitalized,” states Charlie Lehn, parks and facilities manager for the City of Champlin. “There used to be a few vacant lots, older homes and apartments on this land next to the river. A few years ago, the City entered into a development agreement with Greco to be the developer of Mississippi Crossings. The Bowline apartment building to the north was constructed first, with the event center area parking lot. In addition to the event center, a riverfront restaurant will be built next to the outdoor performance area/amphitheater in the near future.” The event center sits up high on the banks of the Mississippi River and has amazing views from the banquet room and balcony. “The event center is available to rent by the hour or all day during the week and weekends,” states Jake Widmyer, recreation supervisor for the City of Champlin. “The banquet room seats up to 120 people and the conference room holds up to 24 people. There is a preferred catering list of vendors to offer a variety of meal choices. So far we have booked many types of events in the event center banquet room.”

The event center sits up high on the banks of the Mississippi River and has amazing views from the banquet room and balcony.

Widmyer adds, “In addition, we have a full line-up of concerts in the park this summer, called the Summer Stage Series. These free concerts at Mississippi Crossings include entertainment for friends and family. There are also food trucks available and the event center ice-cream shop is open during the events.” Lehn explains there are trails connecting throughout Mississippi Crossings area. “The trails connect to the Mill Pond, Three Rivers Park District’s Elm Creek Park Reserve regional trails, and the boat launch area,” he states. “The public docks at Mississippi Crossings are typically open end of May through October. The watercraft rental company, Your Boat Club, offers the ability to rent watercraft at the park’s lower point for park patrons to enjoy time on the river.”

The Mississippi Crossings originally was a landing area for steamboats and home to the Anoka-Champlin ferry service in the mid-1800s. Mississippi Crossings is now a vibrant area for all ages to enjoy the Mississippi River as the area’s great natural resource.