Join Chesterfield as it celebrates the county’s oldest park

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Chesterfield County is celebrating 50 years of Rockwood Park with a free, family-friendly celebration on Saturday.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, attendees can find a DJ, guided hikes with a naturalist, history walks about Revolutionary Rockwood, and activities at Rockwood Nature Center.

Neil Luther, Chesterfield Parks and Recreation director, emphasized Rockwood Park's rich history.

"Courthouse Road is the original Courthouse Road," he said. "So where we stand today, we have in the park a remnant of the original colonial road trace. It's actually sunken, and you can walk into it and feel like you're back in 1780. That is the route that the Continental Army took when it was retreating from the courthouse."

Rockwood Park renovations underway for its 50th anniversary

StormTracker8 Meteorologist Jacqueline Waters will be at the Rockwood Nature Center at noon on Saturday for a special presentation about nature and weather.

A detailed schedule of events can be found on the Chesterfield Parks and Recreation website.

The county is also partnering with local ice-cream shop Gelati Celesti to release a new flavor in honor of the park called Rockwood Bark. Tastings begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday while supplies last.

"It's a mix of salty sweet with a crunch," Tom Rosser, Gelati Celesti Ice Cream president told 8News. "It is a chocolate salted caramel base. So, we stirred our signature chocolate ice cream in with salted caramel, and then added chocolate covered pretzels to add a nice crunch to it."

Saturday's event is free and open to the public.