Bee Branch Creek Greenway Ribbon-Cutting and Opening Celebration on July 19

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The City of Dubuque will hold two public events on July 19 to celebrate the completion of the Bee Branch Creek Greenway. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. at the Bee Branch Amphitheater, located at 533 Lincoln Ave. near Audubon Elementary School, and a community celebration will be held from 5-7 p.m. throughout the greenway, which stretches from E. 24th St. to Garfield Ave.
 
The 4 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony will include remarks by project funding partners, neighborhood residents, and elected officials. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Audubon Elementary School gym, located at 605 Lincoln Ave.
 
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a celebration will be held in the Bee Branch Creek Greenway from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will include performances in the amphitheater by Rising Star Theatre Co. and the McNulty Irish Dancers and free activities including an inflatable bounce house, slide, and obstacle course; the City’s Leisure Services Department’s Rec ‘n Roll activity trailer; face painting; and an “Explore the Greenway” Passport Program.

Through the passport program, attendees will learn about the project and how the greenway will function to control flooding, improve water quality, and serve as an asset to the community. Those who complete the passport program will be entered into drawings for gift cards from businesses located near the project. Free snacks and refreshments will be available and food will be available for purchase from Adobos Mexican Grill, The Devil’s Pit Char-B-Que, and Magoo’s Pizza.
 
In addition to on-street parking, event attendees may park in the public parking lot at the corner of E. 22nd St. and Prince St. and the Sacred Heart Church parking lots on Queen St. and Windsor Ave. In case of inclement weather, the celebration in the greenway will be rescheduled for Wednesday, July 26, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
 
The Bee Branch Creek Greenway is one of several infrastructure improvements Dubuque is making as part of the multi-phased Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project to address severe and frequent flash flooding in the Bee Branch Watershed. It features a 1,938-foot long creek and floodplain, a multi-use trail system, amphitheater, urban orchard and garden, spillway, scenic overlooks, bio-infiltration swales, rain garden boardwalk, permeable parking lot, several benches and seating areas, and a play area with slides.
 
The Bee Branch Creek Greenway will be open 24 hours a day with lights on from dusk to dawn. Swimming and wading are not allowed in the creek. Although it will serve as a linear park, the Bee Branch Creek is an important part of community’s infrastructure to control flooding. The creek is designed to move stormwater safely through the area without flooding adjacent properties. When it rains, the creek will rise out of the limestone channel and cover the lower trail and grass. A flashing flood warning system has been installed to alert park users when the creek is covering the trail.

For additional details on the Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project, visit www.cityofdubuque.org/beebranch or call (563) 690-6068.

Click here to see the event invitation.

# # #