Hamilton County has opened a park at the McDonald Farm in Sale Creek that will be accessible to the public on weekdays.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp promises recreation space at McDonald Farm)
County officials cut the ribbon on the new park as part of the Swing into Spring event Saturday morning. Swing into Spring also featured games and music. The park will encompass about 50 acres around the farm's homestead, including the stables, barn and the old tennis courts. It will be open from around 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and for special events on weekends.
In a phone call, Hamilton County Parks Director Matt Folz said officials still want to do more with the property, but they also saw an immediate need to open it to the public.
"We see (this) as a great first step for creating some special memories today and tomorrow," he said.
Similar to Greenway Farms in Hixson, Folz said the land will have plenty of open space to which families can bring their dog or have a picnic.
"This is the first phase of opening," Folz said. "In the future, we're going to have other features, whether that's a playground or other amenities, but the main focus is getting it open so people can get back to enjoying the McDonald Farm and what it offers that community."
(READ MORE: Hamilton County moves forward with water infrastructure at McDonald Farm)
Officials also hope to use the space to highlight local agriculture. Last year, they hosted 400 students as part of an educational event on the Thursday before the county fair. The farm is still home to pigs, goats, sheep and donkeys, and this year, the county will hold farmers markets at the property.
"There's not a lot of limits to what we can do because we've got a nice bit of space to share that story," Folz said.
Aside from the county fair in November, spokesperson Haley Burton said in a text the farm has not been open to the public since the county purchased the land under former Mayor Jim Coppinger. The county bought the 2,170 acre site in 2021 for $16 million with plans to reserve portions for industry. Officials also want to dedicate land for recreation.
"It's an historic farm," Folz said. "There was a lot of rustic charm that we wanted to clean up. We've been working on the roofs and the buildings and the grounds just to make them safe and accessible for as many folks as we can."
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.