Digital rendering of the Lauridsen Skatepark provided by California Skateparks

The public will get its first look at the Lauridsen Skatepark this weekend when it will open briefly following a ceremony before the Dew Tour later this month.

Construction on what has been called the largest skatepark in the country is complete, and earlier this spring it was announced that the skatepark will host the Dew Tour on May 20-23. The Dew Tour will include World Skate-sanctioned men’s and women’s skateboarding street and park competitions, and serve as the only U.S.-based global Olympic skateboard qualifying events for the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.

The Lauridsen Skatepark’s street and park courses have been approved as an Olympic-level competition venue. It includes two skate bowls, a skate promenade, a skate sculpture, stairs, ledges and more.

Setup for the Dew Tour is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 10, but before then the public will get a glimpse of what the 88,000-square-foot skate park has to offer.

The ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Friday. Following the ribbon-cutting, the skate park will be open to the public from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Everyone attending the ribbon-cutting will need to enter through Rotary Riverwalk Park on the south side of the skatepark. Masks will be recommended per CDC guidelines.

The $6.5 million skatepark is the result of a partnership among Polk County, Catch Des Moines, Skate SM and the local skateboard shop Subset. It was built by California Skateparks, the skatepark architects of the Dew Tour. It was funded through a fundraising campaign that included $1.6 million in donations from its namesake lead donors Nix and Virginia Lauridsen.

Earlier this year, the skatepark, located on the downtown Des Moines riverfront near Wells Fargo Arena, was named as one of the new sports venues to watch by Sports Travel Magazine.