Sunshine, live music, and a strong showing of community spirit marked the official Ribbon Cutting and Community Picnic for the new Glen Alpine Downtown Park on Saturday, November 1. More than 50 people attended the celebration, including residents, elected officials, volunteers, and supporters from across Burke County and beyond.
The event, hosted by the Town of Glen Alpine and the Burke River Trail Association (BRTA), celebrated nearly two years of planning, collaboration, and investment in a park designed to serve as both a trailhead and a central gathering place for the town.
💚 As part of the celebration, BRTA collected canned food donations (60 pounds total) for the Glen Alpine Food Pantry — giving back to the community as part of the day’s festivities. A free community picnic followed the remarks, with hot dogs, cake, and live music by Strung Up. Guests gathered under the newly constructed picnic shelter and enjoyed fellowship.
🎁 During the program, Heile presented special “Heron Awards” — handcrafted by local Drexel business Metawood Design Co. — to seven individuals who made significant contributions to the park’s development. Each award featured the inscription: “Your Impact Reaches Farther Than You Know.”
Award recipients included:
- Alderman Reid Scott – for his tireless on-the-ground efforts throughout the project
- Mayor Michelle Lewis – for her steady leadership and unwavering support
- Representative Hugh Blackwell – for securing $125,000 in state funding and supporting Burke County’s small towns
- Stanley Benedict – for daily volunteer work, video updates and behind-the-scenes coordination
- Ethan Benedict – for early contributions to site prep and seeding
- Pat Cobb – for donating grading services and equipment support
- Jonathan Holden – for exceptional service as general contractor
The $245,500 Glen Alpine Downtown Park project was funded through a combination of sources, including:
- $125,000 – State of North Carolina
- $55,000 – Town of Glen Alpine
- $49,500 – Burke River Trail Association
- $6,370 – Community Donations
- $10,000 – Community Foundation of Burke County grant titled “A Place to Gather: Creating Community in Glen Alpine”
The completed park features paved parking, a restroom facility, a 24×40 ft picnic shelter, picnic tables (assembled by volunteers), open green space, and a crushed cinder walking loop. New crosswalks were painted on Bridge and Linville Streets. It serves as the western trailhead for the developing 40-mile Burke River Trail. Future amenities could include: Paved Track, Pavilion/Stage, Art Sculpture, Storybook Trail, Town History Kiosk, Playground Equipment
In alignment with its mission to revitalize communities and promote civic engagement, the Burke River Trail Association assisted with park design, facilitated public input, secured funding, and helped organize a local volunteer team. Throughout the process, the Town of Glen Alpine provided leadership and final approval, ensuring the project reflected the community’s vision and needs.
The next effort will be a one mile section of trail or sidewalk that Glen Alpine residents and businesses could enjoy along Watermill Glen Alpine Rd to get to the river. The route would provide an out and back 2 mile path for health (physical, mental and social), transportation (homes to town, from town to the water) and economic development opportunities in downtown. BRTA has brought in NC Commerce to meet with town officials for other suggestions on how to proceed with the downtown area.
Many thanks to these donors who helped us reach $6370
| Patsy & Reid Scott $2000 Case Farms $1000 GA United Methodist Church $1000 Molded Fiber Glass $500 Mark Buff $250 Tea Tree $200 Jim & Jill Bonkowske $200 Tim & Jeri Rooks $200 Glen Alpine Ruritan Club $120 | Gary & Debbie Meise $100 Table Rock Family Medicine $100 Mimi Phifer $100 Waiting for the Train $100 WNC Real Estate Inc $100 Graham Anderson $100 Cook Appraisal, Inc $100 Beth Heile $100 Kathryn Dechicio $100 |
Park Background
Because the Burke River Trail Association’s focus areas include revitalizing communities and promoting civic engagement, the nonprofit has been helping with the downtown park design, acquiring funding, and helped create a community volunteer group.
In early 2024, Burke River Trail Association spent $10,000 on a park plan, rendering and budget needed to apply for a NCPARTF grant. In addition, as a requirement of the grant, presentations were made to the local Ruritan Club, Women’s Club, Scout Troop and the Public to share the plan and gather feedback. The grant was not awarded, but the park is moving ahead.
In October, 2024, the Glen Alpine Board of Aldermen, voted to proceed with the Downtown Park without the playground, citing safety concerns. West Consultants was hired for the engineering. Since that time, Alderman Reid Scott and BRTA ED Beth Heile have been meeting with the surveyor, engineer, grader and contractor. Grading started in late March 2025.
There is $185,020 to spend on the park (March 2025)
- $125,000 State Appropriation
- $25,000 Existing Town Park Account
- $30,000 Town of Glen Alpine
- $5120 Community Donations
Park amenities in phase one will include
- Picnic Shelter
- Event Lawn
- Restroom
- Parking
- Entrance Sign and Kiosk
- Landscaping
The original plan (shown on left) created based on public input has been adapted to remove the playground, add more parking spaces and include a two room restroom.
Since Glen Alpine is the western terminus of the Burke River Trail, the Burke River Trail Association has been helping with the trailhead park design and grant application. .
With the grant being submitted in April 2024, it was announced in August that the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant was not awarded. The application for the $380,000 project used $190,000 in local funding to match $190,000 from the state. Local funding is made up of
- $125,000 State Appropriation
- $25,000 Existing Town Park Account
- $10,000 Burke River Trail Association
- $30,000 Town of Glen Alpine
Park amenities in the phase one 2024 grant application included
- Playground with Fence
- Picnic Shelter
- Event Lawn
- Restroom
- Parking
- Entrance Sign and Kiosk
- Landscaping
Future amenities include
- Pavilion
- Art Sculpture
- Story Book Trail
- Town History Kiosk
- More Parking
- More Playground Equipment
- Signage at Intersection
At the April 2024 Glen Alpine Aldermen meeting, Beth Heile, Burke River Trail Executive Director, shared that based on the funds available at that time, a restroom would not be included in phase one construction of the park. The aldermen made the decision to commit $30,000 to the project so the amenity would be included.
Many thanks to these donors who helped us reach $5120 (March 2024)-
Patsy & Reid Scott $2000
Case Farms $1000
GA United Methodist Church $1000
Tea Tree $200
Jim & Jill Bonkowske $200
Glen Alpine Ruritan Club $120
Gary & Debbie Meise $100
Beth Heile $100
Mimi Phifer $100
Waiting for the Trail $100
WNC Real Estate Inc $100
Graham Anderson $100
Cook Appraisal, Inc $100
Table Rock Family Medicine $100