"The primary need for this project arises from an aging boardwalk with warping boards, which is creating a safety hazard." That sentence comes from the State of Michigan's 2026 Coastal Management Program award list, in the entry for a project in Bridgman.
That boardwalk runs from the Weko Beach parking lot to the sand and the Weko Beach House. From October through spring it carries most of what's left of Weko. The concession window, the rental racks, the restrooms and the boat ramp are all closed for the season, and the campground shuts on October 1. After that, Weko Beach is the lot, the boardwalk, the water, and the rules posted on the city's park pages. The boardwalk has state money, a local match and a design contract. It doesn't have a construction date yet.
What closes, and what stays open
The City of Bridgman's Weko Beach page has a seasonal update that lists the changes item by item.
| At Weko Beach | Status for the rest of 2026 |
|---|---|
| Beach parking | Free. The city has stopped collecting parking fees for the rest of the year |
| Concessions | Closed for the season |
| Kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals | Closed for the season |
| Beach restrooms | Closed, with port-a-potties on site |
| Boat ramp | Closed for the season |
| Campground | Open until October 1, 2026 |
| Weko Beach House | Private event October 2 to 3, then closed October 4 to 31, 2026, with no reservations accepted |
Free parking is the biggest change on that list for anyone who drives down Lake Street for a short visit. Bridgman's park rules say you can't park a vehicle at Weko without first getting a park pass or sticker. The seasonal notice says fees are no longer being collected, but it doesn't mention the sticker rule. If you want to be sure, ask City Hall how the rule applies after the fee season ends.
The Beach House is the other change worth knowing about. The city calendar shows a private event there October 2 to 3. After that, the Beach House is closed from October 4 through October 31, 2026, and isn't taking reservations. The November 2026 calendar shows it back in use, with several dates booked for private events and November 26 through 29 blocked off for reservations. If you're thinking about a winter gathering there, check the November calendar before you plan around it.
The rules that stay the same all year
The seasonal notice covers services. Bridgman's Park Rules and Regulations cover how the park works, and nothing in that document says the rules change with the season. Several of them matter more once the lifeguard-season crowds are gone and the beach mostly belongs to people who live nearby.
- Hours. Weko Beach and Campground are open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Toth Park and Legion Park follow dawn to dusk.
- After closing. Staying on Weko property after hours is prohibited, and that includes the parking lots. So is leaving a vehicle or trailer in a park lot while the park is closed.
- Dogs. Animals are not allowed on the beach or in the water at Weko. Elsewhere in the park, leashes can't be longer than five feet.
- Dunes and plants. Damaging or removing plants, shrubs, grass, trees or other natural vegetation is prohibited.
The seasonal notice also repeats the beach's standing ban: no dogs, alcohol, glass, bonfires or fireworks. The rules document has no issue date printed on it, so call the city to confirm the hours and the dog rule if a visit depends on them.
The dog rule matters most in the off-season. Fewer people on the sand doesn't make Weko a dog beach in October. The rule applies every day of the year.
The project is the walk from the lot
The 2026 award entry from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy calls the project "Weko Beach Boardwalk Restoration." It lists the City of Bridgman as grantee, with a $150,000 grant matched by $150,000 locally, so about $300,000 total. The scope is specific:
- Renovating about 570 linear feet of boardwalk between the parking area and the beach and Beach House
- Replacing the existing lights with dark-sky lighting
- Replacing the current seating along the renovated boardwalk and adding more
- Removing a set of decrepit stairways to reduce impact on the dune
The 570 feet is the route between your car and the sand, the same stretch covered in the table above, so the project rebuilds the part of Weko that stays in use after the concessions and rentals shut down. EGLE's entry lists it under "Low-Cost Construction," and the reason it gives is the safety issue in the quote at the top of this post: boards that have warped with age.
The dark-sky lighting matters on a beach that stays open until 11 p.m. every night. Harbor Country News, reporting on the city's plans, said the new boardwalk would improve access to the beach, add "efficient and sustainable light fixtures" and "preserve the natural beauty of the area for years to come."
The stairway removal ties back to the park rule against damaging vegetation. Taking out a set of stairs means one less path cutting across the dune.
How far the project has gotten
Here is the city's own record, in order.
- February 9, 2026. City Council approves the Michigan Coastal Management Program grant agreement with EGLE for the Weko Beach Boardwalk Project. The city's share is capped at $150,000, and Abonmarche is named to provide professional services.
- June 8, 2026. Council approves a $50,000 agreement with Abonmarche Consultants for engineering, planning and design of what the minutes call the Weko Beach Boardwalk Renovation Project.
- July 13, August 10 and September 14, 2026. Council agendas and minutes show no construction bid award, contractor, start date or closure notice for the boardwalk. In September, the Parks Department report is recorded only as "Report as presented."
So as of the end of September 2026, the project is funded and in design. The $50,000 design contract is for drawings and planning, not the build. No public record so far says when the old boards will be pulled up, how long the route will be closed, or whether there will be another way to get from the lot to the beach while the work is underway. Those answers will most likely come through a bid award at a council meeting, and Bridgman posts its agendas and minutes in the city's Agenda Center.
The EGLE description doesn't mention ADA ramps or a dune overlook. That isn't evidence either way. Those details will be settled in the engineering design Abonmarche is preparing under its June contract.
What's still going on around town this fall
The beach's summer events are over. The 2026 Weko Beach concert series ended Sunday, September 6, with the Jon Hayes Duo, after shows that started May 24 with Newport Prairie Project. City events move inland for October:
- Toth Park Movie Night, Friday, October 16, 2026, 7 to 10 p.m., at 9841 Toth Street. The Bridgman Fire Department hosts the free screening, and this year's film is Hocus Pocus.
- Trick or Treat, Saturday, October 31, 2026, 5:30 to 7 p.m., per the city calendar.
Toth Park keeps its own hours, dawn to dusk, under the same park rules that set Weko's 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. schedule. Movie night is a city-hosted event, so check the listing if you have questions about it running after dark.
For the rest of 2026, Weko Beach has free parking, port-a-potties, a beach open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., no dogs on the sand, and the same 570 feet of boardwalk the state funded the city to rebuild.
If you're weighing how a funded but unscheduled project like the Weko boardwalk could affect a home near the beach, or you just want a straight read on what's changing along Lake Street, Joy Schwarting can walk you through it. Schedule a Consultation, and Joy will help you sort out what's on the public record from what's still pending.
