Goose Hollow gets spiffed up for Vista Bridge's centennial celebration

Neighborhood plans a summer of events

Rachel Clark leads a recent cleanup near her Goose Hollow Inn. “My heart and soul is with the cleanups under the bridge,” she said.

On a recent Sunday, a crew of neighbors gathered on the deck of the Goose Hollow Inn. Not for a reuben sandwich but for a SOLV-sanctioned cleanup.

Owner Rachel Clark led the charge, updating attendees on the ongoing cleanups before pinpointing the day’s intended target: a sidewalk strip that runs along Southwest Jefferson Street and leads to the Sunset Highway. The overgrown stretch would later be mulched and planted with new plants in advance of this summer’s Goose Hollow Days and Vista Bridge Centennial celebration.

A summer’s worth of activities are planned for the celebration on Aug. 30. There’s even a planter decoration contest for the four planters at each corner of the bridge.

Goose Hollow neighbors dig in to improve the scenery below the Vista Bridge.

The celebration will include historic streetcar tours, vintage cars, soapbox derby races, food, music and guided history tours led by local history buffs.

The Vista Bridge was designed by architect Fred T. Fowler. Its height, which provides sweeping views of the city, has also been associated with danger, leading to installation of a fence along its railings in 2013.

New plantings to go under the Vista Bridge