Ritter Park Explained

Ritter Park
Location:	910 13th Ave, Huntington, West Virginia 25701
Opened:	1913
Founder:	Rufus Switzer
Designer:	Gus Wofford
Owner:	Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District
Website:	Official Website

Ritter Park is a public park in Huntington, West Virginia. Ritter Park, also known as the heart of Huntington,^[1] is operated and owned by the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District.^[2]

History

In 1908, Rufus Switzer, the future mayor of Huntington, pushed the city to purchase 75 acres of land on 13th Avenue to construct Ritter Park. Five years later in 1913, the park opened to the public.^[3] The park was named after lumberman, Charles Ritter, who donated 20 acres of land for the creation of the park.^[4]

In 2011, Huntington won the Bark for Your Park contest, hosted by PetSafe, and won a grand prize of $100,000 for the construction of Huntington's Petsafe Dog Park which later opened in 2012.^[5]

In 2017, Huntington put aside $236,000 to reconstruct the Ritter Park Playground. Before this, the playground was built in 1987 with an Alice in Wonderland design, the new remodel now has a woodland forest design.^[6]

Amenities

• Footbridges (3)
• Hiking/Biking Trails (9)^[7]
• Huntington's Petsafe Dog Park
• Pickleball Courts (8)^[8]
• Playground
  • including a Zipline, and a sand pit^[9]
• Picnic Shelters (2)
• Recreational Field
• Ritter Park Amphitheater
• Ritter Park Fountain
• Ritter Park Rose Garden
• Tennis Courts (11)^[10]

Events and fairs

Ritter Park is home to numerous events and fairs throughout the year.

Name	Date	Description	Reference
Art in the Park	First Weekend in June	An arts market and festival from local artists.	^[11]
Funktafest	Second Saturday in October	A music and arts festival, held in the Ritter Park Amphitheatre.	^[12]
Graffiti in the Park Car Show	Second Saturday in June	An annual car show, that emphasizes on car paints and wraps.	^[13]
Huntington Music & Arts Festival	Last Saturday in September	Festival centered around local and regional music and visual artists, held in the Ritter Park Amphitheatre.	^[14]
Ritter Park Days	Weekends in July and August.	Features children-based activities and programs.
Paws in the Park Easter Egg Hunt	The day before Easter Sunday	A dog-friendly easter egg hunt, that has been held since 1935.	^[15]

See also

• Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District
• Recreation in Huntington, West Virginia
• Ritter Park Historic District

Notes and References

1. Web site: City of Huntington, Ritter Park . City of Huntington.
2. Web site: GHRP, Ritter Park . Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District. July 24, 2024 .
3. Web site: Ritter Park: Huntington, West Virginia. American Planning Association. July 24, 2024 .
4. Web site: Sept. 11, 1913: Huntington's Ritter Park Opens to the Public. WV Public Broadcasting. July 24, 2024 .
5. Web site: Huntington, W. Va., Wins $100,000 in PetSafe ‘Bark For Your Park’ Contest. February 18, 2013. PetSafe. July 24, 2024 .
6. Web site: Klein. Dan . New Ritter Park playground still two-plus months away. June 8, 2017. WSAZ. July 24, 2024 .
7. Web site: Ritter Park Trail Map . live. July 24, 2024 . Outside (company).
8. Web site: Pickleball in Ritter Park. live. July 24, 2024 . Pickleheads.
9. Web site: Justice. Joe. Ritter Park - Mountaineer Meedia. live. July 24, 2024 . Mountaineer Media. December 9, 2023.
10. Web site: Ritter Park Tennis Courts. live. July 24, 2024 . Global Tennis Network.
11. Web site: Art in the Park, Ritter Park. Visit Huntington. July 24, 2024 .
12. Web site: Funktafest. Funktafest. July 24, 2024 .
13. Web site: 'Graffiti in the Park' car show revs up Ritter. Herald Dispatch. July 24, 2024 .
14. Web site: Huntington Music and Arts Festival. Huntington Music and Arts. July 24, 2024 .
15. Web site: Paws in the Park, GHRPD hosts annual dog-friendly easter egg hunt. Herald Dispatch. July 24, 2024 .