North Carolina State Parks will hold a Special Centennial Celebration, which will include retracing the steps of a citizen march in support of saving Crowders Mountain, Sunday at Crowders Mountain State Park.
“We’ve been staging special events at every state park during our 2016 Centennial year, and we expect this one to be particularly special,” Mike Murphy, North Carolina State Parks director, said. “The people of the community rallied to help make Crowders Mountain State Park a reality. This is an opportunity to recognize their efforts, express our appreciation and celebrate the protection of this wonderful natural resource.”
Crowders Mountain State Park was established in large part by local citizen concern for saving the precious mountain landscape, and more importantly, local citizen action to ensure legislators saw the need to invest in it.
Specifically, the Gaston College Ecology Club led a four-mile protest march on October 30, 1971 to raise local awareness of the need to save Crowders Mountain from being strip mined for precious metals. In addition, the Gaston Conservation Society was formed to spur local and state legislators to provide funding to create a state park. In 1973, the park was established, and has since grown to over 5,000 acres in two counties, directly connecting into South Carolina’s Kings Mountain State and National Military Parks, and attracting over 700,000 visitors yearly.
Exactly 45 years to the day of the original protest march, visitors will have the opportunity to help “recreate” the march on the exact same route as was done in 1971. Sag busses will be provided for those who cannot complete the entire four-mile march on foot. Registration is required, using the link below:
http://www.ncparks.gov/crowders-mountain-anniversary-march
Following the march, there will be speeches, music and food at the end of the march at the Linwood Access Area.
The celebration will continue from 1-4 p.m. the same day with the park’s annual Fur, Fangs and Feathers Fall Festival held at the Sparrow Springs Access Area. The festival will include music, food, games, nature activities and arts and crafts. Bus transportation will be provided between the Dixie Village Shopping Center, Linwood Access Area and Sparrow Springs Access Area throughout both events.