Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation (GCPR) will celebrate the grand opening of Gwinnett’s largest park to date, Harbins Park, on Sat., March 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with festivities for all to enjoy!
Before the celebration begins, equestrian groups will hold a special trail ride at 8 a.m., and the celebration will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by free activities including hay rides, pony rides, bike safety demos, face painting and crafts. Representatives from local equestrian and mountain biking groups will also be on-hand throughout the day. Food concessions will also be available for sale.
“This is a great addition to this community and to Gwinnett County’s number one park system,” said District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau, who will also hold his monthly ‘Meetings with Mike” that day at the park. “That we were able to preserve this property that offers miles and miles of all types of trails is amazing and a testament to the citizens of Gwinnett to preserve greenspace.”
Overall, Harbins Park totals 1,960 acres, with this first phase encompassing the 1,289-acre passive portion of the park featuring a 3.8-mile paved multi-purpose trail, miles of soft surface trail with sections for horseback riding (7 miles), mountain biking (7 miles) and hiking (3.8 miles). The park also has a tri-level playground, large rustic pavilion that will be available for rentals, restrooms, and an equestrian-only parking area.
“Once again, we need to thank Gwinnett voters for allowing us to preserve valuable greenspace throughout the county,” said Board Chairman Charles Bannister.
Funding for Phase I was made possibly through the 2001 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) and totaled $4.5 million in design and construction costs. Construction was managed by Moreland Altobelli & Associates and the contractor for the project was PatMac Contracting Co.
A second future phase is in the master planning stage and will include more active elements of a community park to open in the future.
“We have had a lot of interest and enthusiasm over Harbins Park,” said Sharon Plunkett, Division Director of Operations for Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation. “Everyone from hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers have been eagerly awaiting the opening.”
Harbins Park is located at 2995 Luke Edwards Road in Dacula. For more information, call 770.822.8840 or visit www.gwinnettparks.com.
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