The Freight Yard is now open on weekends all summer along the Dequindre Cut

The Freight Yard opened for the season in late May and is running weekends through September along the Dequindre Cut. Whether you've been before or have never made the walk down into the greenway, this summer is a good time to go.

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy's outdoor gathering space operates Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. The Freight Yard sits on the Dequindre Cut between Wilkins and Division streets; the closest entrance is at Wilkins and Orleans in Eastern Market. No cover charge, no reservations needed.

Nine repurposed shipping containers form the structure of the space. The containers hold a bar serving beer, wine, and cocktails, along with food from local vendors. Outside, there's open space with picnic tables, umbrellas, and lawn games including fowling, cornhole, and giant Jenga. Kids, dogs, and groups with no particular plan all fit comfortably. The layout rewards a few hours over a quick stop.

Sundays come with their own programming. Every Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m., Summer House Sundays brings DJ sets from the Detroit House Collective to the Freight Yard. The series has become a consistent warm-weather anchor for outdoor music in the city, drawing a crowd that mixes families, dancers, and regulars who have made it part of their weekend. Admission to the series is free.

Once a month through the season, Build Institute, the Detroit nonprofit that works with small businesses and entrepreneurs, curates a vendor market at the Freight Yard. Local makers and small brands rotate through alongside the food vendors. Check @dequindrecutfreightyard on Instagram to find out which Saturdays are market days before heading out.

Getting there is simple. Free parking is in the gravel lot at Wilkins and Orleans in Eastern Market, a short walk from the cut's entrance. There's a MoGo station at the Freight Yard and bike parking on the grounds. The Dequindre Cut is part of the 27.5-mile Joe Louis Greenway, so riders can connect through the trail from neighborhoods across the east side, downtown, or the riverfront without touching a surface street.

The Cut itself has its own character. The greenway runs 25 feet below street level through a trench that Grand Trunk Railroad dug in the 1920s to keep freight trains from crossing street traffic. Tracks went quiet by the mid-1980s. After years of planning and funding work, the first stretch opened as a public trail in 2009. The large-scale graffiti murals on the bridge abutments along the path were kept when the trail opened and have developed further in the years since.

Freight Yard hours are Saturday noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m., through September. Follow @dequindrecutfreightyard on Instagram for schedule updates and vendor market dates.