Welcome back to Lynchburg Field Notes, a column that arrives in your inbox on Wednesdays with quick news updates from the past week and previews of what’s coming up next in the Hill City and surrounding communities.
Heritage Park closed Tuesday and will reopen in the summer of 2027, following a year of planned infrastructure improvements. You can learn about the construction schedule in this edition, plus catch updates on Habitat for Humanity’s building program for women and Riverviews Artspace’s newest exhibit.
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Pickleball courts and more coming to Heritage Park
Heritage Park is closed until next summer as construction crews work to give the site a makeover.
Construction will occur in phases, with site cleanup starting this month, according to a city news release. Infrastructure improvements, such as upgrading pathways, landscaping and athletic field lighting, are set to begin in October.
New features, including pickleball courts, a skatepark and an herb garden, will be installed in early 2027. Final touches, such as new park furniture and signage, are planned for the spring before the park reopens in the summer of 2027.
The nearly 60-acre park, located behind Heritage High School, opened 50 years ago and has long been known for the hiking and biking trails in its wooded area. Planned improvements are concentrated in the recreational area near the athletic field and parking lot, according to schematic designs.
Construction updates will be available on the city’s parks and recreation website throughout the renovation process.
Women’s building group breaks ground
Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity is running a women’s building program this fall, and the group broke ground on Saturday at a kickoff event.
In the program, volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to build a home for a local family while fundraising for the necessary construction materials. The team has raised $11,000 toward their $50,000 goal so far, according to a recent social media post.
About 70 women have already signed up to participate, but registration is still open online, according to Habitat for Humanity’s website. No experience is necessary to volunteer.
The building program will last until December, when a “Women Build Luncheon” event will be hosted to celebrate the completion of the home.
Art and poetry showcased at new collaborative exhibit
Riverviews Artspace will open a new exhibit on Friday, hosting a free public reception at the 9th Street gallery from 5-8 p.m.
The exhibit, called “That Which Forms,” includes large-scale drawings of trees and landscapes by Mariam Aziza Stephan and related poems by Julia Johnson. Johnson has written poems in response to Stephan’s images since 2018, “creating a genuine dialogue between image and language,” according to Riverviews’ news release about the exhibit.
The gallery will also feature a reading nook, where the Lynchburg Public Library is lending books related to the exhibit’s themes. The Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum is also providing educational information at the exhibit to connect its messages with the story of Anne Spencer, who lived in Lynchburg and was a prominent Harlem Renaissance poet and avid gardener.
The exhibit will be open through Oct. 18. An artist talk and reading will be hosted at 5 p.m. Wednesday, and a poetry masterclass will be hosted at 10 a.m. Saturday. Registration is required for both events, and tickets are available for purchase on Riverviews’ website.
