Thursday, November 14th, will mark 30 years of the Pioneer Frontier Park being a staple in the East Ridge community.
City officials are hosting a special ceremony at the playground located at 1509 Tombras Avenue at 4pm that day to celebrate the community project that has impacted East Ridge for decades.
In recognition of this milestone, the 30-year anniversary ceremony will also include the opening of a time capsule that was placed safely inside a structure at the main entrance.
The structure at the park, made from the bricks of the previous City Hall building, houses the time capsule that the Pioneer Committee filled with several things, including letters to their future grandchildren.
East Ridge city staff, former pioneer committee members and their families, and members of the community are invited to the celebration to witness what was left in the capsule for the community to remember.
East Ridge Mayor Brian Williams will open the celebration followed by the staff giving a short history of the park. Once the time capsule is opened, former committee member, Debbie Colburn, will go through the contents. Guests will be encouraged to enjoy the park after the ceremony and take a look at the time capsule items.
The Pioneer Playground quickly became an East Ridge icon after its opening on November 14th, 1994. Many citizens have shared special memories at this park which could not have been true without the hard work, care, and dedication of those 30 years ago. A group of citizens sought out funding, resources, and even spent time learning how to build the original Pioneer Playground structures.
After nearly two years of preparation, neighbors spent five days laboring to complete the project, and even when those final hours got tough because of rain, they carried on. They worked into the pluvious night illuminated by the fire trucks that came and surrounded the park to ensure they were able to complete the project.
For years after its construction, the Pioneer Frontier Committee used the invested funding received to care for and manage the playground. Volunteers would pick up litter, make repairs to the equipment, and ensure that the park was a beautiful and safe place for their neighbors to enjoy.
In 2007, the city took over the repairs and maintenance of the park, and 15 years later, the city received a grant that allowed a million dollar upgrade to be done to the park. Not only would the existing track, restrooms, and pavilion remain, but the playground would be completely updated to current safety and ADA standards - and a splashpad would be added, too.
After years of planning and delays due to COVID-19, the Pioneer Frontier was reopened in March of 2022. Now, in 2024, the beautiful park remains an East Ridge icon.
If it’s the first time on the monkey bars, a birthday party at the pavilion, picking a fresh tomato from the Pioneer Patch Garden, flying high on the Tri-Spinner, riding your bike on the track, or that one big splash at the Splashpad : one experience you can count on at Pioneer Park is a big smile and feeling a warm embrace from your community.