The Fencing Is Down, and It’s Time for Fun at Lakeside Park

Improvements are complete, the fencing is down, and Lakeside Park has officially reopened to the public for the first time in two years.

The park has been closed to picnics, fishing, and other fun since July 2022, first due to reconstruction of Lakeside Drive, then for renovations to the park itself. Park improvements include tree replacements, better grading and drainage, new wayfinding and wildlife signage, the addition of ADA ramps and sidewalk connections, and enhancements to seating areas, lighting, and landscaping.

Highland Park celebrated Lakeside’s reopening in a ceremony on July 12 with ice cream, lemonade, and color-changing rubber ducks. Six feathered ducklings and their mother waddled through the grass nearby.

“The park is now fully reopened for our residents and our visitors to again enjoy, and we hope everyone will do so,” Mayor Pro Tem Don Snell said. He thanked residents for their patience with the construction and town staff for its work on the renovations.

“This is our first time to be on the property since they took the fence down,” said Highland Park resident Tammy McClary. “We’re excited.” The ADA ramps are a welcome improvement, she said, and will be helpful to those who struggle with steps during photo shoots.

The ceremony was followed by a celebratory story time led by the Highland Park Library’s youth services librarian Victoria Rice. Enthusiastic preschoolers sang songs, made animal sounds, and read several books about parks and being outside.

Anne Adelaja joined the fun with her 7-month-old daughter, Sijuade. Adelaja said she thinks she’ll come to the park two or three times a week now that it’s open. “It’s really hot now, and the trees give some shade,” she said. “That’s a plus.”

Closer to noon, Suzie Curnes and her daughters, Bridget, 11, and Evie, 9, enjoyed sandwiches and watermelon on a picnic blanket in the shade. Curnes said she’s been waiting for the park to reopen, and is glad that it has. What are her plans now that the fencing is down?

“Just this,” she said. “Sitting and picnicking, just having a different view.”