City of Hickory Monthly e-Newsletter | August 2024
Aviation Walk Now Open
On July 30, the City of Hickory celebrated the grand opening of the Aviation Walk with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Aviation Walk creates another critical link between several notable Hickory destinations. As part of the larger Hickory Trail multiuse path system, the Aviation Walk provides bicycling and pedestrian connectivity from Old Lenoir Road and the future OLLE Art Walk, across U.S. 321 via a steel pedestrian bridge, past L.P. Frans Stadium and Winkler Park, up to the Hickory Regional Airport.
City Receives State Grant for Downtown Streetscape Improvements
The City of Hickory is one of seven grant recipients in the State of North Carolina’s new Rural Downtown Economic Development program. Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced the award of an $850,000 grant to the City of Hickory to assist with two streetscape projects in the downtown Hickory area. The grant funding will be used to upgrade the streetscapes on Government Avenue SW from First Street SW to Third Street SW and on First Avenue NW between North Center Street and Second Street NW. Improvements will include wider sidewalks, enhanced outdoor spaces, bulb outs, and improved lighting on both sides of the street to match the existing streetscapes in the downtown area.
With the return of August, many families are preparing for the upcoming school year. Fortunately, there are two great events coming up in August to help with that.
Hickory Police Department’s annual Ridgeview Community Block Party will be held on Friday, August 16, starting at 5 p.m. at Taft Broome Park. This free back-to-school event will offer food, music, and free school supplies to help your kids prepare for the school year.
The Hickory Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism Department will host a Back to School Bash and Dance on Saturday, August 24, at Taft Broome Park. Kids can get free haircuts, have their faces painted, and win great prizes from 5-8 p.m. at the bash. Then from 7:30-9:30 p.m., kids in grades 3-8 are invited to a Back to School Dance at the Brown Penn Recreation Center next to Taft Broome Park. A DJ will play music while kids dance the night away with snacks and drinks provided.
Spot the Difference Photo Challenge
Want to participate in a fun photo challenge? Over the next few weeks, the City of Hickory will be releasing a series of photos on its Facebook page to test your powers of observation. Each challenge post will include an unedited photo of a Hickory location along with an altered version of the same photograph. Your challenge is to compare the two photos and find all of the differences for a chance to win prizes.
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