Greensboro parks official invites public to Downtown Greenway grand opening May 16

Chelsea Phipps, Greenway and Gardens program coordinator for the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department, invited residents to the grand opening of the Downtown Greenway on May 16 and described a month of free programs leading up to the event.

"I've ordered hundreds of yards of ribbon," Phipps said, describing plans for a "supersized" community ribbon cutting and encouraging anyone who wants to participate to come help cut the ribbon. She said the grand opening is scheduled for May 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at a downtown Greenway location (transcribed in the program as "Karen's course, 501 Guilford Avenue") with free food trucks and entertainment.

The Downtown Greenway is a four‑mile loop around downtown Greensboro, Phipps said, with a 12‑foot‑wide paved path designed for walking, running and biking. "It serves a lot of different purposes for people," she said, noting the route connects eight neighborhoods and includes streams, a pollinator garden, a public orchard and extensive native plantings.

Phipps described the Greenway as an outdoor public art gallery with "more than 40, almost 50 pieces of public art," including four major cornerstone installations and a mix of neighborhood‑specific works such as artistic benches and sculptural bike racks. She said neighborhood benches and many smaller pieces were created by North Carolina artists, while some larger pieces came from national calls that brought outside and internationally known artists to Greensboro.

The city is programming a month of events called "Green May" to celebrate the project's culmination. Phipps said organizers have scheduled 27 free programs — environmental education workshops, evening fitness classes, a yappy hour, speed‑friending and painting classes among other offerings — and called out "Wheels on the Greenway" on May 2 as an early kick‑off event.

To follow event details and volunteer opportunities, Phipps directed listeners to downtowngreenway.org and said the project maintains Facebook and Instagram accounts at @downtowngreenway and an email newsletter for updates.

Rodney Dawson, host of Talk City Greensboro, closed the segment by reminding listeners of the May 2 and May 16 events and providing GTN broadcast and streaming information. "Because the Greenway, it's it's for Greensboro, and we want everyone to come help us celebrate that milestone and cut the ribbon," Phipps said.

The program did not announce any formal city votes or policy actions related to the Greenway during the interview. The public grand opening is scheduled to take place as described; attendees should consult downtowngreenway.org for the latest details and any changes to location or schedule.