Great Rivers Greenway, the City of Maryland Heights and Saint Louis County Parks invite area residents to celebrate the newest segment of the Fee Fee Greenway at a lunchtime picnic and ribbon cutting being held on Friday, Oct. 5, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park. The event will take place at the new trailhead, located near the disc golf course across the road from Sailboat Cove (13725 Marine Ave., Maryland Heights, MO 63146).

The project extends the existing 0.8-mile paved greenway an additional 2.2 miles from McKelvey Woods, creating a continuous 3-mile paved connection between the Maryland Heights Community Center (trailhead located near Dogport and Aquaport) and Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park. It also makes it possible for people to continue their walk or bike ride through the park to the Creve Coeur Connector trail and allow them to cross over the Missouri River to connect to the Katy Trail and Centennial Greenway in St. Charles County. These connections enable access to the St. Charles County Heritage Museum and the ability to cross over Highways 364 and 94 in St. Charles County. In total, the new Fee Fee Greenway segment helps to create nearly 16 continuous miles of paved routes for walking and biking.

On Friday, Oct. 5, project partners, contractors, area residents and elected officials will officially open the new greenway with a ribbon cutting at the new trailhead. Originally planned for June 14, the event was canceled due to thunderstorms. The rescheduled celebration will include yard games, music, bring-your-own-picnic-lunch and a walk or bike ride along the greenway. Guest speakers will begin addressing the crowd at approximately 11:15 a.m., followed by the ribbon cutting at 11:45 a.m.

“The expanded Fee Fee Greenway has been embraced by not only the people who live and work in Maryland Heights, but also people across the region,” said Tracey Anderson, City of Maryland Heights Director of Parks and Recreation. “We didn’t want a little rain to stop us from officially celebrating this new connection. We encourage the community to join us on October 5 to enjoy a lunchtime picnic and some fresh air on the expanded Fee Fee Greenway.”

The new segment includes a 78-foot-long pedestrian bridge over Fee Fee Creek and a nearly 1,000-foot-long “living wall.” The purpose of the living wall system is to help capture the storm water that drains off the paved surface, reducing the impact on nearby creeks and streams. It will also provide habitat for wildlife and insects. Several hundred new native trees, shrubs, sedges and flowers were also planted along the two-mile extension to restore and boost the native ecology of the greenway.

“This project is a powerful example of how greenways connect us to our rivers, parks, communities and each other,” said Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. “By extending the Fee Fee Greenway just two miles, we’ve created a vital link between existing trails and amenities so people can get exercise and fresh air while exploring a wonderful natural area.”

For more information about the expanded Fee Fee Greenway and other greenways throughout the St. Louis area, visit www.GreatRiversGreenway.org.