Celebration Planned For New Cochituate Rail Trail Piece

NATICK, MA — If you haven't had a chance to check out the new section of the Cochituate Rail Trail that just opened in Natick, keep your schedule open on Friday.

A number of community groups will hold a celebration on Oct. 15 along the new pathway, which connects downtown Natick to the Framingham line at Route 30. The celebration follows a grand opening ceremony held in late September near a new Route 30 bridge.

According to organizers, there will be booths up and down the length of the trail, and speakers beginning at 2 p.m. at the MathWorks lakeside campus — accessible via a spur off the rail trail.

The trail has been unofficially open for months, connecting to the older 1-1/2 mile section from Saxonville in Framingham. It spans about 2-1/2 miles from the Framingham border south to near the Natick MBTA station. A final piece of the trail connecting directly to the Natick Center commuter rail station could open in 2022.

To register for the Oct. 15 Cochituate Rail Trail celebration and stay up-to-date on details, visit this website.