Hickory – To celebrate the grand opening of the Riverwalk along Lake Hickory, the City of Hickory invites the public to attend a ribbon cutting for this new section of the Hickory Trail on Thursday, April 4, at 10:30 a.m.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the Riverwalk overwater bridge and west trailhead located at the end of Old Lenoir Road. Limited parking will be available at the trailhead; overflow parking will be available at Jaycee Park (P.D. Fowler Field) on 15th Avenue NW and at Hickory City Park with shuttle service provided to the ceremony site. Light refreshments will be served at the event.

The Riverwalk showcases one of Hickory’s most beautiful, natural assets — the Catawba River. The Riverwalk provides public access to Lake Hickory with an overwater bridge and a combination of waterfront and wooded trails, offering visitors a variety of scenery and multiple vantage points to admire the beauty of the lake and the surrounding natural environments.

The Riverwalk connects existing and future amenities in the area, including the paved Geitner Trail greenway and Boy Scout Cabin at Rotary-Geitner Park, mountain bike paths called the Lake Hickory Trails, the future Deidra Lackey Memorial Park, the future OLLE Art Walk, and the future pedestrian bridge across Lake Hickory to Caldwell County.

Through a public/private partnership with the City of Hickory, the Robert Lackey family plans to renovate Rotary-Geitner Park to create the Deidra Lackey Memorial Park, featuring a Lake House for events, conservatory, gardens, trails, a picnic shelter/restroom facility, canoe/kayak launch, boat slips for visitors from the water, and a new fishing pier.

When the North Carolina Department of Transportation completes improvements to U.S. 321, the current northbound bridge will be turned over to the City of Hickory for pedestrian use, furthering access and connectivity from the Riverwalk across Lake Hickory.

“We’re excited to open the much anticipated Riverwalk,” said Hickory Mayor Hank Guess. “With its innovative bridge over the water and elevated overland trails, the Riverwalk is sure to become a popular regional destination and a catalyst for economic development in Hickory’s budding innovation district.”

Designed by renowned architect Miguel Rosales, the Riverwalk’s overwater bridge is the longest inverted Fink truss bridge in North America. Rosales commented, “The crossing over Lake Hickory includes an overlook with seating, a wooden walking surface, aesthetic lighting, and a signature earth tone color that blends well with the surrounding mature trees and vegetation.”

The Riverwalk is the second completed of five segments of the Hickory Trail, a multiuse path system spanning over 10 miles that is designed to improve quality of life and drive economic development by connecting destinations across the city.

For more information about the Riverwalk segment and the entire Hickory Trail, please visit www.hkytrail.com.

Photo: Riverwalk along Lake Hickory