Ribbon Cutting for Plum Point Park Trailhead Official Opening at 10 am
Words and Images courtesy fo the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation.
Join the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and trail lovers nationwide for Celebrate Trails Day 2021 on April 24. The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation will host a full day of events to celebrate the start of trail season and officially open its first signature trailhead at Plum Point Park.
Completed over the last 18 months, enhancements to Plum Point Park include the wildly popular Double Turbo Challenge Course, ADA-accessible kayak launch, meditative walking labyrinth and dynamic play sculpture. These additions were all made possible through the support of capital campaign donors: Sentara, City of Norfolk, TowneBank, PRA Group and many more. Along with generous private sector sponsors, this trailhead project received $365,000 in grant awards, including a local Vibrant Places grant from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.
There's a whole roster of safe and socially distant activities along the 10.5-mile Elizabeth River Trail. Start your day in Plum Point Park with a chance to connect with the amazing local groups who activate the trail. Maps will be available to plan your adventure. Visit https://events.elizabethrivertrail.org/celebratetrailsday or https://www.facebook.com/events/351993526183055/ for links and more information.
9 am Prescribe-A-Trail Community Health Walk
9:30 am Group bike ride with Cyclique from Harbor Park to Plum Point
10 am Event kickoff and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Plum Point Park Trailhead with special
guest speakers: Norfolk Councilmember Courtney Doyle, Becky Sawyer from Sentara, Kevin
Murphy from the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation and Mike Fox from WPL
10 am -1 pm Meet our community partners: Sentara Foundation and Sentara Vascular Team, Keep Norfolk
Beautiful, Lime, Miller’s Foundation, Visit Norfolk and more
Plum Point Park's New Obstacle Course demo at 11am.
Free tours and live reenactors at historic Fort Norfolk by the Norfolk Historical Society (Photo ID and masks are required in order to enter Fort grounds)
10:30 am #LiveLifeFresh Boombox Bike Ride kicks off at Freshtopia on 35th Street
11 am Obstacle Course demo and course time trials with Redpoint Movement & Latitude Climbing +
Fitness
Donation-based yoga with Danielle Stern of Bhav Brigade in Plum Point Park
11 am - 1 pm Kayak demos with Norfolk Kayak Rentals (space limited)
Hydrobike demos with Hund’s Recycle Factory at the Hague
11:30 am Bike Repair Clinic hosted by REI
Noon Botanical Bike Tour with Norfolk Master Gardener, Jim Affeldt (RSVP required)
12:30 pm Walking History tour of Plum Point / Fort Norfolk with Norfolk Tour Company (RSVP
required)
2 – 8 pm Free live music by Tidewater Bluegrass in Chelsea / Little Theater of Norfolk
6:30 pm Sunset meditation with Deb Holroyd of VB Mindful at Plum Point Park
You can also enjoy great free or discounted admission at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens, Nauticus, Chrysler Museum and Hunter House. Wrap up your day with a yummy meal and live music at one of our great trailside restaurants and breweries.
Hosted on the third Saturday of April, Celebrate Trails Day (formerly Opening Day for Trails) is an annual spring celebration of America’s trails. Started by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in 2013, the celebration encourages people all across the country to get outside and enjoy the nation’s exceptional trails and trail systems. For more information, visit https://www.railstotrails.org/experience-trails/celebrate-trails/.
The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation’s mission is to promote, enhance and transform the Elizabeth River Trail into the most iconic urban riverfront trail in the country. The ERT runs 10.5 miles and connects businesses, historic attractions and 28 neighborhoods within a five-minute walk. The multi-use trail is designed for walking, running and biking. It comprises 11 sections and 11 trailheads from Norfolk State University to NIT Terminals along the Elizabeth River. Highlights include Harbor Park, Downtown Norfolk, Freemason Historic District, Sentara campus, Fort Norfolk, Chelsea, West Ghent, Lambert’s Point, Old Dominion University, Larchmont and Lochhaven. In 2018, the ERT Foundation launched a $4 million comprehensive capital campaign to raise funds to activate and enhance the 10.5-mile trail. It successfully achieved the goal in 2020. Major sponsors include Sentara and the City of Norfolk. For more information, visit www.elizabethrivertrail.org.