CONWAY — The latest addition to Conway's Riverwalk opens today — finally connecting the waterfront with the city's downtown .

For over a year, crews have been building a quarter-mile extension of the city's signature wooden walkway from just beyond the Bonfire restaurant to the Fourth Avenue bridge. City officials plan to formally unveil the nearly $2.3 million project at 6 p.m. behind the former site of the Ocean Fish Market. After that, it will be open to the public.

"It's a game changer for Conway," City Administrator Adam Emrick said. "We've never had a connection like this that takes the river to downtown. And it's something we've envisioned for a long time."

First constructed in the early 1990s , the Riverwalk has been upgraded and extended in phases. Over the years, city officials added a park, bathrooms and a boat ramp. The path now winds along the banks of the Waccamaw River near the Conway Marina, beneath the Main Street Bridge and now behind Main Street businesses.

Conway officials want to extend the riverwalk to the former Grainger Steam Plant site. Santee Cooper, which owns that site, plans to transfer more than 800 acres to the city.

Emrick said the city has long wanted to establish a pedestrian link between the river and downtown.

"That connection will be that piece," he said. "It's just amazing."

The Riverwalk is a already popular spot for walking and jogging. Photographers snap engagement and prom photos there, and of course fishing poles are a common sight.

The new extension includes a floating dock, and there could be other expansions in the future.

Nearly a year ago, state lawmakers approved a plan to transfer more than 800 acres from utility Santee Cooper to the city. Conway officials intend to use the former site of the Grainger Generating Station as a recreation area, what Emrick called "the equivalent of a small state park."

People walk on the riverwalk near the Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge in Conway on March 20, 2023.

The Grainger property straddles U.S. Highway 501 between the Waccamaw River and U.S. Highway 701 South, but most of the city’s efforts would be spent on the side of 501 closest to downtown.

Plans for that land include extending the Riverwalk about 3.5 miles, adding a new marina and carving out an inland beach for swimming.

The new Riverwalk extension will be part of Conway's seasonal decorating

Conway officials obsess over holiday decorations. Each October, Conway becomes "the city of Halloween" with plastic pumpkins in trees, towering skeletons outside city offices and 12-foot inflatable ghosts greeting visitors. There's a sprawling Christmas village on the Town Green in December.

Valentine's Day will continue that trend.

A giant "Kiss Me" sign stands outside City Hall, there are conversation hearts downtown as well as red lights and props. A Valentine's Village on the Town Green is planned for 6-9 p.m. Feb. 6-9 and Feb. 13-16 that includes hot chocolate, sweets, flowers and a kissing booth.

People walk on the riverwalk near the Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge in Conway on March 20, 2023.

But the biggest addition will be free gondola rides along the Riverwalk for families and couples. The rides run on the same day as the village but from 4-7 p.m.

Emrick called the gondola, which was built by city's construction services department to resemble a Venetian gondola, "the next big thing for Conway."

Speaking to City Council this week, he acknowledged that the city occasionally catches flak for its seasonal setup — Conway budgets $125,000 annually for decorations — but there's a reason behind it.

For the first time, the city projects its downtown will see 2 million visitors this year.

In 2017, five years before the city started its Halloween blitz, downtown saw 135,000 visitors in October, according to the city's data. Last year, that total had jumped to 235,000. Those are people who visit shops and restaurants, according to city officials.

"It's not that we've become known as a place to be for holidays and events," Emrick said. "It's that we've become known as a place to be year round. And it's working. ... That is why we invest in seasonal decor. It's to keep the momentum and to keep reaching those new residents to the area."

Businesses have also reported more foot traffic during the holidays. Good Day Sunshine, which sells candles, soaps and other handmade products, saw a spike in October.

"It was awesome," said Gabbie Emery, who started working at the store before Conway's "city of Halloween" promotion and watched it grow over the years. "It was super busy. There were people who traveled from all over. We had Alaska, California (and) Colorado."