The city cut the ribbon at Millville Waterfront Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. By then, WMBB reported, the park had already been open to the public for several months. The fishing pier was 13 years old. The kayak launch was nearly eight. The land itself had belonged to the city's redevelopment agency since 2008.
So the ceremony at 301 Maple Avenue didn't open a new park. It marked the last big piece of a park that had been added to bit by bit for almost two decades. That piece was the one that turns a quiet bayfront lawn into a place with a schedule: an amphitheater. For anyone on Panama City's east side, the useful questions are when the amphitheater gets used, what's still missing, and what's on the calendar right now.
Eighteen Years, One Piece at a Time
Most people who drove past the old version on Maple Avenue saw a lawn, a pier, and the water. Here's how that turned into the current park:
- 2008: The Millville Community Redevelopment Agency buys the 4.2-acre waterfront parcel.
- 2013: A fishing pier is added.
- 2018: An ADA-accessible floating dock opens, with a kayak launch slot and an overhead assist bar, as WJHG reported at the time.
- 2023: The city moves ahead with plans to develop the whole site.
- 2024: Construction starts, according to WMBB.
- June 2025: WJHG reports new sidewalks, a picnic table, and a playground set in place, with the amphitheater still being built.
- July 14, 2026: Ribbon cutting. The city calls it the completion of "the majority" of the project.
That pace explains why the park can feel familiar and new at once. The water access, meaning the pier and the launch, came first, years before the amenities that keep people on land for an afternoon. Shade, seating, and a stage came last.
What the Last Push Added
The city's completion notice lists what the park has today: walking paths, a playground, an amphitheater, benches, covered picnic areas, pergola swings, a bike rack and repair station, new trees and landscaping, shaded gathering spots, a drinking fountain, and a pet waste station.
The city says the project was funded through the Millville CRA's FY2024, FY2025, and FY2026 budgets, with help from several other sources. The pergola swings came from a $7,500 grant by the Central Panhandle Association of Realtors. A USDA grant paid for the trees and the irrigation system, and AmeriCorps installed the irrigation.
The two public accounts give different totals. The city's July 15 notice says $1.5 million. WMBB's July 14 ribbon-cutting story says $1.3 million, funded by the Panama City CRA. Nothing published reconciles them. One line item is firm, though. An earlier city agenda request set the playground contract, covering equipment, shipping, border and mulch, and installation, at $276,215.81, all from CRA revenue. Using either total, the playground was roughly a fifth of the money. The playground is the obvious draw for families, but it's the amphitheater that makes the park something you plan around.
The Amphitheater Gives the Park a Calendar
A pier and a kayak launch serve people who already know they want to be on the water. An amphitheater gives the park dates, and the city's notice says so directly. It describes the park as a place to fish, kayak, and relax, and also to "attend future concerts, festivals, and other community events."
This fall is the first season with dates on that calendar. Here's what's confirmed as of October 10:
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, October 17, 2026 | Free Tree Giveaway | 8 to 11 a.m.; up to two trees per Bay County household while supplies last; live oak, sycamore, and blueberry are listed |
| Saturday, November 7, 2026 | The Limit, a tribute to the Eagles and The Doobie Brothers | Gates open at 5:30 p.m.; opening act The Big Reveal; tickets through Scamp Entertainment |
The tree giveaway is the only Millville Waterfront Park event in the city's October 2026 parks and recreation program guide. It also suits a park whose newest trees came from a federal grant. A live oak or a sycamore planted this fall will be growing in a yard while the park's own young trees fill in.
The November concert has a backstory. Scamp Entertainment's flyer calls November 7 a "new date," and the ticket page is labeled "Hooked on Classic Rock." In March, a city agenda request had proposed a Hooked on Classic Rock concert at the park for May 16, 2026, with food and beverage vendors. No public source says outright that the spring show moved to November, but the names match. If that's what happened, the amphitheater's first big ticketed show slid by about six months, which fits a park that has always opened in stages. Tickets are on sale at scampentertainment.com or by calling 850-258-0453.
What Isn't Finished
The city's own word was "majority," and two items explain why.
Restrooms. On July 15, the city said restroom construction was "nearing completion." The day before, WMBB reported that work was underway and expected to wrap up within about a month. That would have been mid-August. No public update from August through early October confirms the restrooms opened. For a three-hour tree giveaway it may not matter. For an evening concert with gates at 5:30, it's worth checking with the city or the promoter before you go.
Phase III. The final planned piece is a Bike Safety Village, and the city says it's "on hold pending future funding opportunities." The bike rack and repair station are already in, so the cycling side of the park has started, but there's no date for the rest.
Given the park's history, a funding pause isn't a surprise. The gap between buying the land and adding the pier was five years. The gap between the pier and the kayak launch was another five. Phase III could be the next item on that list.
Making an Evening of It
The city built the park with the evening in mind: shaded picnic areas, pergola swings facing the water, and a stage. The simplest way to fill out a visit is to eat nearby. Gene's Oyster Bar in Historic Millville serves Gulf oysters raw, baked, and fried, and Destination Panama City's June 2026 feature on Gene's suggests pairing a meal there with a stop at the park.
The old reasons to come are still there too. You can fish from the 2013 pier, or put in at the floating launch that WJHG covered when it opened in 2018. The park's address is 301 Maple Avenue, Panama City, FL 32401.
Two dates are worth putting on your calendar: October 17 from 8 to 11 a.m. for free trees, and November 7 with gates at 5:30 p.m. for the amphitheater's first big ticketed show.
The east side's bayfront changes slowly, one funded piece at a time, and keeping track of those pieces is part of how we read Panama City for clients. If you're curious how projects like this shape life on the water near Millville or anywhere else around St. Andrews Bay, The Sostheim Group is happy to talk it through over oysters. Contact Us.
