PRESS RELEASE: “The event will feature music from Homestead Bluegrass Band, food trucks and local craft beer, cornhole, face and pumpkin painting, a sunset bonfire, 50/50 raffle and more. Admission to the event is free and all members of the public are welcome to attend.

Sussex County Land Trust in partnership with Sussex County Council will host a free event from 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, on Sweetbriar Road near Route 9 west of Lewes to celebrate the acquisition and protection of Hopkins Preserve, a 51-acre property adjacent to the Lewes-to-Georgetown rail trail. The property was acquired for land preservation purposes and will eventually offer public access as an outdoor recreation area.

SCLT board members and county officials will unveil the conceptual masterplan for the future of the property at the event and will also update the public about other recent initiatives.

“Protecting Sussex County so that it remains special and spacious is what we’re trying to achieve with partnerships like this between the county council and the land trust,” said Sussex County Council President Michael H. Vincent. “It takes a grassroots and wide-ranging effort, from private enterprise and philanthropic sources to government and community leaders, as well as everyday citizens, all working together for the singular purpose of passing something on to future generations. This campaign embodies that spirit. We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Sussex County Land Trust to ensure parcels like the Hopkins Preserve can literally remain a part of the landscape and give visitors another place to enjoy our community’s natural beauty and wonder.”

“The trust board and our partners at the county are so excited to introduce this project to the public and celebrate the protection of a property that could have otherwise been developed. Our board worked harmoniously with our county partners and the Hopkins family, and this property will serve as a perpetual recreational amenity in the future,” said Heidi Gilmore, SCLT board chair.