Valdese Greenway gets grand opening

Jan 13, 2024

Debbie Shuman, left, and Wes Presnell cut the ribbon for the grand opening of the Valdese Greenway on Sunday. Shuman and Presnell are the second and third participants to complete the FVR365 Challenge that started on Jan. 1. Participants signed up to walk 365 miles in 2023 for Year of the Trail with as many miles as possible completed at Valdese Lakeside Park.

VALDESE — Friends of the Valdese Rec (FVR) held a grand opening group walk on Sunday, April 16, to celebrate the completion of the Valdese Greenway.

The entire 2-mile greenway is now crushed cinder for an easier walk along Lake Rhodhiss and McGalliard Creek. In 2021, 1 mile of the former grassy sewer easement was upgraded, while the other mile remained grass.

In 2022, with the McGalliard Creek Suspension Bridge installation it became obvious upgrading the entire path was the next amenity most desired by park attendees. Friends of the Valdese Rec raised the $250,000 needed for improvement, with donations from the Rostan Family Foundation, NC State Grant assisted by Rep. Hugh Blackwell, Dianne Searcy and many individual and small business donors.

To explore the greenway, start at Valdese Lakeside Park at 1149 Lake Rhodhiss Drive or McGalliard Falls Park at 400 Falls Road. Each park has restrooms, picnic tables and parking. The McGalliard Creek Bridge is located 0.5 miles from McGalliard Falls Park and 1.4 miles from Valdese Lakeside Park.

FVR has one more Sunday event scheduled for April. On Sunday, April 30, The Shelby Rae Moore Band will play on the Open Green at Valdese Lakeside Park from 4-6 p.m. The free concert is sponsored by FVR and attendees need to bring a chair or blanket for seating.

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