New Riff, Silver Grove, celebrate Earth Day with opening of new park

In commemoration of Earth Day, the city of Silver Grove was presented with a check to go toward the creation of Green Valley Pond Park.

New Riff Distilling donated $16,830 to the Silver Grove Community Foundation on April 22, generated entirely from the 2023 Silver Grove Bourbon sales. The Silver Grove Community Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life and support community-led projects in the city. The new park is centered around Green Valley Pond, which has fishing opportunities for the community. The park has also recently implemented benches, trash cans, disc golf and a gazebo. 

“It’s another opportunity to expand the options for the people here in Silver Grove to get outside and enjoy the outdoors and do some fishing here, some frisbee golf here, and some other things hopefully in the future,” Silver Grove Mayor Neal Bedel said. “Just another opportunity to hopefully give people another option and make Silver Grove maybe a more desirable place for them maybe to buy a home and raise their family.” 

Silver Grove Community and Economic Development Director Bob Yoder said the pond has been in Silver Grove for over 50 years. About two years ago, the city acquired it and started planning to open it as a park. 

“So for the past two years, we’ve been clearing things out and getting everything tested, and this will be a great opportunity for the people of Silver Grove and surrounding communities to have a fishing lake in their backyard that’s easily accessible via sidewalks, and you can walk here,” Yoder said.  

Phase two of the park will consist of installing an ADA-accessible paved trail around the pond. Yoder said the project wouldn’t have been possible without New Riff, which also donated $15,025 to the city earlier this year. 

“It’s in our interest to better Northern Kentucky one little town at a time,” said New Riff President Mollie Lewis. “Silver Grove is near and dear to our heart because we own property here—the Rick House and the undeveloped land—but you know, the sky’s the limit as far as what we want to do for Northern Kentucky.” 

The distillery will release the 2024 Silver Grove Bourbon and Silver Grove Rye on Tuesday, April 23, at 11 a.m. A portion of the proceeds from both will continue to support the Silver Grove Community Foundation. The bottles are available exclusively at New Riff’s gift shop at 24 Distillery Way in Newport.

Green Valley Pond Park is at 5246 4 Mile Road in Silver Grove.