Gwinnett Daily Post PodcastGeorgia State Parks Offering First Day Hikes | You Can Ring in the New Year Early With Your Kids at Stone Mountain Park | Registration for Georgia Rivers Spring Events Now Open
Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast
Get the news for Lawrenceville, Norcross, Duluth, and all of Gwinnett County with the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. Gwinnett Daily Post - https://www.…Top Stories for December 30th
Publish Date: December 30th
From the BG AD Group Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast.
Today is Tuesday, December 30th and Happy Birthday to Sandy Koufax
I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by KIA Mall of Georgia.
- Georgia State Parks offering First Day Hikes
- You can ring in the New Year early with your kids at Stone Mountain Park
- Registration for Georgia Rivers spring events now open
All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe!
Break 1: Kia Mall of Georgia - Sugar Hill Ice Skating Rink
STORY 1: Georgia State Parks offering First Day Hikes
Kick off 2026 with a breath of fresh air—literally. Georgia State Parks are bringing back their First Day Hikes tradition on New Year’s Day, offering guided adventures for everyone, from casual strollers to hardcore hikers. Bonus? You’ll snag a First Day Hikes sticker to prove you started the year on the right foot.
At Indian Springs, choose between a three-mile trek at 10 a.m. or a laid-back “Easy Breezy” hike at 1 p.m. High Falls? Two hikes, coffee, Chick-fil-A, and even a K-9 demo. Amicalola Falls adds a Birds of Prey show. Parking fees apply—call ahead to register!
STORY 2: You can ring in the New Year early with your kids at Stone Mountain Park
Stone Mountain Park’s got your New Year’s plans covered—especially if you’ve got kids (or just don’t want to stay up ‘til midnight). On Dec. 31, they’re doing an early countdown at 9 p.m., complete with fireworks and even snow.
The fun kicks off at noon with Stone Mountain Christmas attractions, but the real magic happens at 8 p.m. Princess Aurora’s Light Spectacular and the Christmas Drone Show take center stage—this year with fire drones. Yep, drones that shoot fireworks. Think Santa’s sleigh launching sparks.
Afterward? Music, dancing, and that 9 p.m. countdown. Who needs midnight anyway?
STORY 3: Registration for Georgia Rivers spring events now open
Ready to paddle into 2026? Georgia Rivers just dropped its adventure-packed schedule, and it’s a dream for river lovers—whether you’re a seasoned kayaker or just figuring out which end of the paddle goes in the water.
From the Okefenokee Swamp to the Toccoa’s whitewater, there’s something for everyone: weekend camping trips, kayak fishing classes, even beginner-friendly “Kayaking 101” sessions. Oh, and don’t miss the America250 trips—history lessons on the water.
Scholarships are available, too, because everyone deserves a chance to explore Georgia’s rivers. Check out the full lineup at garivers.org and start planning your next adventure.
We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info.
We’ll be right back
Break 2: Ingles Markets
STORY 4: In Gwinnett, it’s hard to afford housing on less than $75,000 a year
Jeannie Johnson works two full-time jobs. At 54, she’s still chasing the dream most people take for granted—owning a home. “I’ve never bought a house. Never even had a brand-new car,” she says, standing on the back porch of her rented townhome in Lawrenceville.
Her kids, grown but not gone, help with rent and groceries. Anayah, her daughter, once thought about moving out—until she saw the prices. “She said, ‘Yeah, I think I’ll stay home a little longer.’”
Rent’s nearly doubled in recent years, from $785 to $1,485. Saving? Forget it. “Maybe someday,”
Jeannie says.
STORY 5: Lanier Islands Resort offers two ways to ring in the New Year
Looking for a New Year’s Eve plan that works for everyone? Lanier Islands Resort might just have you covered. Whether you’re chasing a family-friendly evening or a grown-ups-only Havana Nights bash, they’ve got something for both vibes.
For the kids (and parents who’ll probably be in bed by 10), there’s a celebration at Game Changer—think arcade games, duckpin bowling, axe throwing, and a sparkling cider toast at 7 p.m. Free to get in, but activities are pay-as-you-go.
Meanwhile, the 21+ crowd can party in style with cocktails, a gourmet buffet, live music, and a champagne toast at midnight.
Break 3: DTL HOLIDAY INTERVIEW - MARK BERENS - BERENS FROZEN CUSTARD
The Gwinnett County Public Library just snagged a huge honor—it’s been named a Top Innovator for 2025 by the Urban Libraries Council. Why? Their new Hooper-Renwick Themed Library in Lawrenceville, a space that’s all about equity, inclusion, and honoring history.
“This award means the world to us,” said Charles Pace, GCPL’s executive director. “In a time when libraries face so many challenges, it’s a reminder of why we do what we do.”
The library, built on the site of Gwinnett’s only pre-desegregation Black high school, blends history with modern resources, showcasing memorabilia and stories that deserve the spotlight.
STORY 7: Lawrenceville's Baggett Elementary is GCPS's lone elementary school offering organized sports
At Baggett Elementary, sports aren’t just about the game—they’re about giving kids a place to belong. Even though organized sports don’t officially start in Gwinnett County until middle school, a group of passionate teachers and staff decided to change that.
It all started four years ago with basketball. Now? They’ve got T-ball, flag football, soccer, and cheerleading too. “We’ve basically built our own league,” said Jasmin Riley, the school’s PE teacher.
The games are in-house—Baggett Blue vs. Baggett Red—but the energy is real.
We’ll have closing comments after this
Break 4: GCPS Hiring
Signoff –
Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.gwinnettdailypost.com
Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Produced by the BG Podcast Network
Show Sponsors:
NewsPodcast, CurrentEvents, TopHeadlines, BreakingNews, PodcastDiscussion, PodcastNews, InDepthAnalysis, NewsAnalysis, PodcastTrending, WorldNews, LocalNews, GlobalNews, PodcastInsights, NewsBrief, PodcastUpdate, NewsRoundup, WeeklyNews, DailyNews, PodcastInterviews, HotTopics, PodcastOpinions, InvestigativeJournalism, BehindTheHeadlines, PodcastMedia, NewsStories, PodcastReports, JournalismMatters, PodcastPerspectives, NewsCommentary, PodcastListeners, NewsPodcastCommunity, NewsSource, PodcastCuration, WorldAffairs, PodcastUpdates, AudioNews, PodcastJournalism, EmergingStories, NewsFlash, PodcastConversations
