Wearing swimsuits, sunscreen and smiles, more than 400 kids showed up Friday for the reopening of Pinehurst Park Beach in Cloquet with the hopes of having some fun in the sun.
Friday afternoon marked the highly anticipated reopening of Pinehurst Park Beach, which had been closed since 2005 and has undergone a $1.1 million renovation.
"It's so nice for kids to have another thing to do around here again," Cloquet Community Education director Sara Liimatainen said. "It's a clean, safe, affordable place for kids to swim and have fun throughout the entire summer."
With the city of Cloquet and several volunteers helping out last fall and this spring to restore Pinehurst, the park has a number of additions, including a new concession stand, handicap-accessible cement resurfacing around the beach and a restroom area equipped with showers, bathrooms and changing areas. The park also offers adults a chance to stay out of the sun with six large umbrellas around the beach, while kids can play volleyball and basketball.
"We've been getting steady phone calls for about a month now," said Liimatainen about the park, which charges children $3 to swim the entire day. "I've always said if we build it, they will come, and they sure have come."
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Liimatainen said it's common for kids to walk or ride their bikes to the beach. One of those kids is Brianna Kelley.
"Pinehurst means a lot to me," said Kelley, an 8-year-old from Cloquet who walked to the park with her older sisters Friday afternoon. "It's calm, quiet, close and a lot of fun."
In addition to daily passes, the park sells summer passes that cost $79 for families and $49 for individuals. So far, more than 150 passes have been sold.
Today, marks the park's grand opening. The beach will be open after the annual parade at noon until 7 p.m., when there will be games, festivities and prizes. The park also will include live music and DJ's throughout the day, with a teen beach party from 7-9 p.m. to cap off the holiday.
"I am super excited," Kelley said, smiling. "I think I'll come here like everyday."
