"Tube regardless of snow!" That's how Bowers Farm's Winter Park page starts its fine print, followed by a warning that Mother Nature controls the weather and that tubing goes ahead in sun, snow or rain.
Over the next two months, the dated events on the Square Lake Road side of Bloomfield Township come from that farm. At Woodward, a former Rite Aid that once held a grocery is planned as a grocery again, under a Ferndale family name that has been in the business since 1983.
The Farm Sets the Calendar
Bowers Farm sits at 1219 E. Square Lake Road, and Bloomfield Township's own map lists it as a township point of interest. November is the end of its open-visit season, and the farm has posted the dates.
Open Barn runs on three more Saturdays, Nov. 7, 14 and 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors meet the animals, take a wagon ride and join farm-themed activities. Adult admission is $10. The farm's Friday-evening series, Farm After Five, with live music and a beer trailer, is closed for the season, and the farm says 2027 dates are coming.
Weekday programs for young children also continue through most of November, according to the farm's fall events page:
- You, Me & the Barns: Mondays through Nov. 23, 10 to 11:30 a.m., $25 per parent-child session.
- Pasture Pals: Wednesdays through Nov. 25, 10 to 11:30 a.m., $25 per parent-child session.
After that, the farm takes a short break and reopens as a winter venue.
Dec. 18 and the Hill Without a Lift
Winter Park opens Dec. 18. The farm says tubing tickets go on sale in "mid-Nov, 2026," so the ticket window comes about a month before the hill opens. Tickets have to be bought in advance, and each one covers 50 minutes of tubing.
The farm's house rules:
- Tubers walk up the hill. The farm says there is no lift "other than your legs."
- One rider per tube, with no doubling up.
- The tubing surface works without snow, and the hill is lit in the evening.
- Winter Park runs in rain, snow or shine, and tickets can't be refunded or exchanged. The farm suggests giving unused tickets to someone else, since sessions sell out.
People who aren't tubing get in free. They can visit the animals, warm up at the bonfires, eat from the Farm Kitchen, climb the hay tower and shop the Farm Store. The Farm Store sells local jams, honey, maple syrup and teas, along with Bowers apparel, plush farm-animal toys, skincare and children's books.
Locally sourced groceries are also central to the plan at the Woodward end of the road.
Woodward Square Returns to Groceries
At 42931 Woodward Ave., in the Woodward Square Shopping Center near Square Lake Road, the Selvaggio family plans Nourish by Western Market. It is planned as the second store for a business that has been on the Ferndale stretch of Woodward near 9 Mile since 1983, according to the Birmingham-Bloomfield Bulletin. Steve Selvaggio and his son, also named Steven, own it.
The 13,880-square-foot space was a Rite Aid that sat empty for about two years. Before that, it was a grocery store. The Bulletin credits that history to Downtown Publications, and Andrea Bibby, the township's Director of Planning, Building and Ordinances, confirmed it. After two years of an empty pharmacy, the space is slated to return to grocery use.
The Bulletin's list of planned departments shows a focus on prepared food and local products:
- Prepared foods and deli
- Locally sourced groceries
- Cheese and charcuterie
- Produce, meat and seafood
- Bakery goods
- Beer, wine and liquor
Western Market's site also lists local Michigan brands, eggs and dairy, and pantry items, and it labels the Bloomfield store "Opening Fall 2026." The posted hours for Nourish are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
What the Neighbors Asked For
Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved the site plan and a special land use request, including a liquor license, at a Feb. 23 public hearing. Steve Selvaggio told the board that the owners had worked with nearby residents, and the Bulletin reported three changes that came out of that:
- Outdoor lighting was redesigned so it won't shine into the residential area.
- A brick retaining wall will screen the grocery carts outside the store.
- Trash will be stored inside the building.
In January, the owners went to the township's Zoning Board of Appeals for variances covering a loading dock and three wall signs totaling 125 square feet. As of the February approval, the remaining steps were state and township approval of the spirits license and the signage.
Three Addresses, One Short Stretch
Nourish is one of several food businesses in a short run of Woodward addresses. A few numbers up Woodward, G&B Hospitality signed for the former Zoup! space at 42983 Woodward Ave. for Patty & Press, its smash-burger restaurant, as reported by What Now Detroit and REBusinessOnline. Middle Eats is between them at 42967 Woodward.
| Address | Business | What the sources show |
|---|---|---|
| 42931 Woodward Ave. | Nourish by Western Market | 13,880-sq-ft former Rite Aid; grocery, deli, bakery, beer, wine and liquor |
| 42967 Woodward Ave. | Middle Eats | Listed hours 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon–Sat, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Sun |
| 42983 Woodward Ave. | Patty & Press | Former Zoup! space; shares the building with FedEx Office |
Patty & Press is run by co-owners Goran Dimic and Brandon Gorgies. They opened their first Patty & Press at 52300 Van Dyke in Shelby Township with a soft opening in late December and a grand opening in March, according to Detroit Newsroom. The restaurant makes its smash burgers from a custom blend of 100% grass-fed beef. The brand's menu includes the Classic Smash, P&P Smash, West Coast Smash and Truffle Smash, plus fried and grilled chicken sandwiches. What Now Detroit named Chicken Shack, Jimmy John's and Cold Stone Creamery as nearby businesses.
Both new tenants grew out of an established local operator. Western Market brings more than four decades in Ferndale. The Patty & Press team brings a concept it has already run in Shelby Township. Both chose spaces that chains used to occupy.
How the Season Lines Up
At the farm end, the dates are set: three Open Barn Saturdays in November, tubing tickets in mid-November, the parent-and-child programs ending Nov. 23 and 25, and Winter Park opening Dec. 18. At the Woodward end, Western Market's site lists Nourish as "Opening Fall 2026," and its posted hours start at 8 a.m. every day of the week.
Rob Haber has watched Bloomfield Township's commercial corners change for more than 15 years. If you own near Woodward Square or along Square Lake Road and want to talk through how the new tenants could affect your corner of the township, Rob Haber is glad to share what he's seeing. Let's Connect.
