From the square to the 1996 Olympic course: a half day downtown and on Lake Lanier

Downtown Gainesville and the 1996 Olympic course are close enough to pair in one morning, but not close enough to walk between. This half day uses both, in the order that makes sense: coffee and the square first, the greenway if you have the legs for it, then a short drive to the lake. We’ve left out opening hours we couldn’t confirm, so check the ones that matter to you.

Where should I park and get coffee near the square?

Park in a deck. Street parking gives you two free hours with ParkGVL, which coffee and a walk around the square can easily use up. The Main Street Parking Deck at 301 Main St. SW is free 24/7 and about 150 meters from the square. Our parking guide covers the rest.

Three coffee shops on Explore Gainesville’s downtown dining list are within about 110 meters of the square: Boarding Pass Coffee at 106 Spring St., Inman Perk Coffee at 102 Washington St. NW and Meadowlark Coffee at 109 Bradford St. NW. Hours change, so check before you set an alarm. More options are on our restaurants page.

What should I see on the square in the morning?

Most of the civic buildings around the square date from the rebuild after the April 6, 1936 tornado, which killed 203 people. The Hall County Courthouse at Spring and Green streets was completed in 1937, and Historic City Hall at 117 Jesse Jewell Parkway went up the same year, designed by the same firm. Roosevelt Square sits between them. The white-marble Federal Building, which opened in 1910 as the post office, is one of the few downtown buildings the storm didn’t destroy or heavily damage. Our history page tells the longer story.

Can you walk from downtown Gainesville to Lake Lanier?

Yes, on the Rock Creek Greenway: 2 miles of tree-shaded trail from near the square to the lake, through four parks. It starts at Rock Creek Veterans Park, 223 Northside Drive, a block from the square, which has WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War memorials. It passes Ivey Terrace Park and Wilshire Trails Park, where there’s a covered bridge and a storybook trail, and it ends at Longwood Park, 20 Pearl Nix Parkway, on the water.

Longwood has a fishing pier, a courtesy boat dock, pavilions, two playgrounds, eight tennis courts and restrooms. There are no lifeguards. The full greenway out and back is 4 miles, so on a half-day plan, walk a stretch and turn around before you head for the car.

Before you leave downtown, think about lunch. Washington Street Deli at 109 Washington St. NE is a grab-and-go deli, and the Olympic park has picnic areas.

How far is Lake Lanier Olympic Park from downtown?

About 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) in a straight line, at 3105 Clarks Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA 30506. You can’t walk there from downtown, so drive. On big event days on-site parking is limited, and event pages list free off-site parking with shuttles at New Horizons Lanier Park, 675 White Sulphur Road. The shuttles aren’t wheelchair accessible, and only service animals may ride; the Tower-side lot works as a drop-off area.

What is there to see at Lake Lanier Olympic Park?

Start with the timing tower. In July 1996 the park hosted the rowing and canoe/kayak events of the Atlanta Summer Olympics, and the original tower still stands. Explore Gainesville describes the park as the last remaining 1996 venue still used for its original purpose. The Games also gave Gainesville a nickname: an NBC broadcaster called it the “Hospitality Capital of the World,” and the City still uses it.

On an ordinary day there’s a sandy public beach with a designated swim area, a free public boat launch with free truck-and-trailer parking, two courtesy docks and picnic areas (amenities page). None of the City’s lake parks has lifeguards on duty, this one included, so you swim at your own risk.

Two Olympic-legacy clubs are based at the park. The Lake Lanier Rowing Club runs youth, recreational, competitive and learn-to-row programs. The Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club, a 501(c)(3), offers public rentals in summer, recreational programs and flatwater sprint teams. If you want to get on the course yourself, those summer rentals are the simplest way.

When are the big events at the Olympic park?

Food Truck Fridays (2027 dates not yet published)

In 2026 they ran on the third Friday of the month, 5 to 9 p.m., on April 17, May 15, June 19, July 17 and Aug. 21, on the Northeast Georgia Health System Plaza. Entry was free, with live music, food trucks, beer and wine tents and vendors, and an 8-foot grandstand table for six cost $45. The City’s Lake Parks page calls them monthly from April to September, so wait for the 2027 dates before planning around a particular Friday.

Gainesville Chicken Festival, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026

The 21st edition of “Georgia’s Official Chicken Cook-Off” was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, with gates at 11 a.m. The City’s release said it would run to 4 p.m.; Explore Gainesville’s schedule goes to 4:30, with awards at 4. A wristband for 10 samples is $6, and a Cluck Pack of five wristbands is $25. Shuttles from New Horizons Lanier Park run 10:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Lake Lanier Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

The 2026 festival was Sept. 12. The 2027 date hasn’t been published.

Hours, parking and the full event list are on our Lake Lanier Olympic Park page.

How big is Lake Lanier?

Lake Sidney Lanier is a man-made lake that opened in 1957 after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished building it. It covers about 38,000 acres, and its shoreline runs 690-plus miles by the City’s count (Explore Gainesville says 692) through five counties: Dawson, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Hall and Lumpkin. The Corps runs it for flood protection, power production, water supply, navigation, recreation, and fish and wildlife management.

Explore Gainesville estimates more than seven million visitors a year at Lake Lanier. The City calls it the most visited Corps of Engineers lake in the nation, with more than $2 billion in annual economic impact. (Explore Gainesville: Lake Lanier; City of Gainesville: History, checked 2026-10-16)

For other ways onto the water from Gainesville, see our Lake Lanier guide. To lay this half day out with times, use the visit planner.

Questions about the Olympic park

Written by the Downtown Gainesville Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Gainesville downtown events