The City of Grapevine Parks and Recreation department and pioneers behind the Grapevine Rock Art Trail have officially broken the Guinness World Records® title for the Largest Display of Painted Pebbles with a total of 24,459 rocks.
The Rock Art Trail first began in March 2020, as a way to inspire and uplift the community during the harsh reality of the COVID pandemic. The display is filled with talented and skilled artwork and is sure to inspire all who meander through the trails to explore.
The trail lies between Wall-Farrar Nature Trail and the trail connection from Parr Park along Big Bear Creek. This community-driven project has been led by Ron Olsen and Chris Penny, both Grapevine residents, who joined forces to transform the trail into an artsy attraction for anyone in Grapevine and beyond who wanted to escape the stress of the pandemic.
“The Rock Art Trail is a beautiful symbol of our community’s resilience and resolve in the face of such a devastating and disruptive pandemic,” said Ron, who placed the first cluster of rocks that started the collection. These rocks consisted of a simple happy face, an Oklahoma University logo, blue-bonnets, a mountain and stream scene, a galloping horse to represent the Grapevine Mustangs, and rock zero was the Iceland national flag.
After Chris Penny and his daughters discovered the rock art trail near their home, they painted a few rocks and picked the perfect spot to place them. While most of the world was shut down due to the pandemic, Chris connected with artists around the world who would later donate rocks to the trail.
“What started as a random act of kindness to spread joy and positivity during the pandemic has grown into something extraordinary,” said Chris. “It amazes me that people from all over the world have sent rocks to be placed on a trail that they might not ever visit. These works of art have led to the trail being filled with laughter, new friendships being developed, people spending more time outdoors, couples holding hands, and childhood memories being relived. In essence, the rock trail ended up being exactly what the community needed during these unique times.”
This Grapevine trail filled with thousands of rocks is now “a wonderland of tiny paintings” as described by the Washington Post. Community members along with artists from all over the world are now a part of this meaningful world record due to coming together during trying times.
“Grapevine is a community of togetherness,” said Kevin Mitchell, Grapevine Parks and Recreation Director. “It is amazing what has been accomplished on the Rock Art Trail and the positive impact it has had on so many.”
The trail can be accessed by parking in the Church at the Cross’ southwest corner parking lot, located at 3000 William D. Tate Ave., Grapevine, Texas. To learn more about the story behind the Rock Art Trail, visit GoGrapevine.com/Blog.
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