Tuscaloosa has finished a $12 million project to upgrade a park in the heart of the city just in time for it to host the first-ever Kentuck Festival of the Arts south of the Black Warrior River.

As the Thread first reported, city councilman John Faile and Mayor Walt Maddox led efforts to invest $12.2 million from the Elevate Tuscaloosa tax plan to add amenities to the park, including vastly expanded parking, a walking ellipse, lighting and security features and a new central building where visitors can use the restroom or refill water bottles.

The project broke ground in December even as tensions publicly boiled between organizers of the Festival and city officials in Northport, where the massive event has been held for 50 years.

No need to rehash all that here - before the year ended, Kentuck announced it would move the 2024 Festival to Tuscaloosa, and in February said they would host the Festival in the improved Snow Hinton Park after the Elevate project wrapped up.

(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
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That day officially came Friday morning with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting led by Maddox, Faile and Peggy Hogue, the daughter of the park's namesake, former Tuscaloosa Mayor Snow Hinton.

"Today as I was thinking this morning about what my remarks were going to be, I kept thinking about the word legendary, which is a word we use a lot in Tuscaloosa -- though it's generally about what happens about a mile and a half as the crow flies from here, on Saturdays, at the football field," Maddox said. "But today, legendary to me means Mayor C. Snow Hinton."

(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
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Maddox said Snow Hinton was responsible for six-laning 15th Street, the formation of Lake Tuscaloosa and helped prepare the city for future challenges like the meteoric growth of the University of Alabama and successfully attracting Mercedes Benz U.S. International to our "rural hamlet."

Snow Hinton also secured the property that would come to house the park named in his honor and set it aside for recreational use.

"Oftentimes in staff meetings, we talk about doing things people will remember generations from now," Maddox said. "Today, 48 years later, we are honoring a legendary mayor who was a legendary public servant in this legendary park facility we have here."

Councilman Faile represents the district which houses Snow Hinton Park and was a vocal advocate for investing the Elevate funds in these upgrades.

(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
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"I am so excited about this park because I have some wonderful memories here. I see John Hogue here, he's probably old enough to remember - I bet he probably played little league baseball back over here in the corner like I did, a 'few' years ago," Faile said. "We've had those pickup football games out here, we've had picnics. The mayor doesn't believe it, but I really did climb that rope on my 70th birthday - there's just so much, so many things have happened here and so many more will."

(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
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Faile was referring to the "space rope" climbing net in the park, which takes brave visitors to the top of a 38-foot spiral metal slide.

Hogue spoke as several other members of the Snow Hinton family attended and listened, and together with leaders from the city, the cut the ribbon and welcomed the public back to the park Friday morning.

(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
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She cited Scripture instructing people to use their gifts to serve others.

"My dad loved this city and he was truly committed to using his gift of leadership in serving the Tuscaloosa community," she said.

Hogue said the city purchased this land in 1975 and Snow Hinton and his wife both died in 1976, but not before the city had designated the space for a park and named it in his honor.

"Today my family and I simply say thank you to all who have supported this park over the years and an extra special thank you to our current city council for making this day possible through the Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative," she said.

Watch the entire ceremony below.

More coverage of news in west Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.

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Gallery Credit: (Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)

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