The City of Powder Springs will soon have a new park and special event space right in the heart of downtown. The as-yet-unnamed park is the culmination of a $3.7-million redevelopment. The one-acre space features an amphitheater, splash pad, and climbing structure. The original opening celebration was supposed to take place in May, but has been pushed to September because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But let’s concentrate on the positive: Powder Springs has a great, new outdoor space for concerts, movie nights, and other events. And you can help the city celebrate this new park from September 11-13 during the “Bringing The Sea To Powder Springs” Seafood Festival. “Our seafood festival will be a unique addition to Cobb County’s event calendar, and with its featured musicians, juried arts and crafts vendors, plenty of fresh seafood from Georgia’s coast, a beer & wine garden, and more, we are excited about having a top-quality event for people of all ages to enjoy,” said Powder Springs Parks Director Jeff Crowder. “We are proud to have a partnership with Robin Roberts Promotions to make the seafood festival an annual event for our residents as well as bringing in visitors to our beautiful city.”
In addition to the food from local and regional vendors, the festival will include live entertainment as well as local artisans showcasing their wares. Additionally, there will be a silent auction benefiting the Powder Springs Youth Foundation. The money will be used to fund an annual summer camp, which is designed to provide a quality educational as well as recreational experience for the youth at an affordable price. Items still can be donated for the auction. Volunteers can pick up the items from your home and leave a tax donation sheet behind for your convenience. Just visit bringingtheseatothesprings.com for more information.
The new outdoor space, located at 4485 Pine View Drive, is the only park within downtown Powder Springs, so it is sure to become a favorite destination for locals and tourists alike. The city is planning to host several events and activities throughout the year that includes “brown bag” lunchtime concerts, holiday celebrations, cultural events, and more. Plus, there are plenty of Elm trees to provide shade for family (or romantic) picnics.
The park is part of a larger plan to bring new business to the downtown area. The green space should attract new development and new shops, the city says, as business owners see increasing crowds from the local events, as well as the hikers and joggers from the nearby Silver Comet Trail who stop by the new park and patronize the city’s business along the way.
“Part of what we have been told by consultants and in all of our planning is we have to have people living in the downtown, and that means density and creating walkability in the downtown. We believe that we needed to make Powder Springs a destination, and the park, obviously, would help with that,” said Powder Springs Mayor Al Thurman. “If we can get people parking here as a trailhead and going onto the Silver Comet, we believe that would help spear walkability in the downtown and hopefully will create a daytime and a nighttime population for the downtown.”
A new nearby business, Rooted Trading Company on Marietta Street, is working to schedule its opening in anticipation of the park crowds. The business is housed in a renovated general store that dates back to 1860. The store will feature a variety of local and branded merchandise, as well as grab-and-go foods and beverages, bicycle and boat rentals, and adventure services like guided fishing trips, downtown Powder Springs tours, and Silver Comet tours.
“It has been very exciting watching the construction progress in anticipation of the park opening,” Crowder said. “As a child growing up in the Powder Springs community, I would have loved to have had a park like this to go to with my family and friends. It will be a popular place to relax and enjoy the downtown district for many years to come.”
