The long-awaited opening of Mill Ridge Park was marked not by a ribbon cutting, but the ringing of a bell.
A handful of children and community members pulled on a long, bright yellow ribbon to ring an old farm bell Wednesday morning in Antioch. Hundreds more around them rang handheld bells and cheered during the opening ceremony.
"I'm coming here every day of my life!" 10-year-old Shayla Shukri exclaimed as she skipped over to the chalkboard wall with her Tennessee Nature Academy classmates.
Not far away, 1-year-old Augie Rice was grinning ear to ear as he ran across the rubber turf below a gigantic jungle gym. Childlike joy and wonder came out in even the adults gathered as they explored the park's features.
The first of the park's three phases is now complete after a two-year development. It boasts a sprawling lawn for events, a 52-foot slide towering over a playground, a basketball court, several nature trails and a walking loop, among other features. It even has an interactive musical art installation that activates as people walk on it. Phase one spans roughly 15 acres, while the park will encompass more than 600 acres once the final two phases complete.
Here are four things to know about Mill Ridge Park, which is part of Nashville's Plan to Play master greenspace plan.
Team effort:Mill Ridge Park aims to weave together Antioch's diverse community
Space to move, play and explore
The park sits directly across from Cane Ridge High School off Old Hickory Boulevard and weaves together existing spaces like an urban farm, historic sites, natural areas, woods, native plants and creeks. The first phase includes grassland, a garden and a hilltop to explore. Around 300 new trees were also planted in the first phase, along with plants and native wildflowers. Guests were given handmade seed bombs to throw into the park's wildflower patch or to take home.
The park also has playgrounds for various ages, outdoor exercise equipment and a basketball court. There is a quarter-mile circular path for walking and running. Friends of Mill Ridge Park President Wesley Trigg pointed to the "intangible assets" of the park, like bringing a diverse group of people together and creating a safe, healthy space to enjoy.
"It's what we like to call, at Friends of Mill Ridge Park, a quality of life," Trigg said during the ceremony.
He was among many city leaders, including Mayor John Cooper and Metro Parks Assistant Director Tim Netsch, gathered at the event. Metro Council members Antoinette Lee and Joy Styles were also on hand, and both nodded to former council member Jacobia Dowell's work in the early development for the park.
Perhaps the most striking feature is the park's 52-foot curved slide, which is fully enclosed.
"I will neither confirm nor deny that I've been down it," Trigg joked.
The Tennessean team tried out the slide ahead of the opening. While it's most definitely fun, it's also not for the faint of heart (and more intended for children). Wear good shoes and be ready to scale spiraling, but solidified, netting to the top before a swift, thrilling ride down the tube.
Interactive art and music
"The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades," Cooper said as he opened his remarks at the ceremony, quoting lyrics from a Timbuk 3 song.
Cooper praised the team behind the park, along with those who saw through the development of Ravenwood Park, which opened in the Donelson-Hermitage neighborhood in July.
"In the modern era, community seems so fragile," Cooper said. "Zoom and all these technologies are challenging ...Things like parks create community, because we still have need to see each other and be together. In this space, we will long celebrate that."
The musical art installation includes columns with speakers in them surrounded by pressure-activated strips embedded in the walkway that trigger different sounds and notes. It features sounds sampled from the Cane Ridge High School band, known as the Rhythmic Ravens.
"Come on, it takes everyone!" Netsch said as he trotted around the speakers and motioned for others to join.
Friends of Mill Ridge Park Executive Director Darrell Hawks envisions people making friends with strangers through the installation.
"It encourages interaction without having to speak the same language," Hawks said as he alternated dancing around the columns and chatting about the park.
Gathering places and festival grounds
Friends of Mill Ridge Park has been hosting everything from kite festivals to yoga classes on the land over the last several years, well before the official opening.
"To have this common space where we can arrive at Mill Ridge Park is really special," Hawks said.
Phase one includes festival grounds, along with a handful of mid-sized pavilions. A larger pavilion is still in the works. The Great Lawn has space for more than 1,000 people to gather. The pavilions are first-come, first-serve unless a reservation has been made ahead of time.
The first phase has space for around 125 cars to park, with plans for more as the second and third phases unfold. Hawks said the team has plans to use the existing lots for food trucks and events, alongside parking.
What's next: Grand opening celebration, more development
A "grand park celebration" is set for Sept. 30 with live music, food, activities, giveaways and a family-friendly 5K. More details are still forthcoming.
With the first phase complete, the team behind the park is now strategizing how to utilize the new space while pushing forward on the next two phases.
"It's like we've been training for a marathon for years and now we're at the starting line," Hawks said. "Now that the park is open, it changes our universe. It changes the impact we can have ... That's exciting, but it's also daunting."
Ongoing plans for the park unite long-standing spaces, like farmland and natural areas. It will also preserve historic sites like houses, barns and a stone well, while working to conserve, restore or reforest natural habitats.
Ready to see it for yourself? Check out friendsofmillridgepark.org for a list of events, park information and more.
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