On Thursday, August 6, Macon-Bibb County leaders and community members gathered at Carolyn Crayton Park to celebrate the official reopening of Softball/Basefield Field 7, bringing a once-vacant field back to life and expanding opportunities for recreation and sports tourism.
“This is exactly what SPLOST is meant to do. Invest in projects that improve quality of life for our residents while creating opportunities to bring more people to Macon-Bibb County,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “By bringing this field back to life, we’re giving our young athletes another place to play, strengthening one of our community’s great recreational assets, and helping us attract even more tournaments and visitors.”
The field sat vacant and in disrepair for many years before Commissioners approved nearly $1 million in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funding to renovate the field and put it back into use.
“Today, this becomes a real asset, a place that supports youth sports, attracts tournaments, and boosts tourism in Macon-Bibb County,” said County Manager Dr. Keith Moffett.
The addition of another playable field at Carolyn Crayton Park also strengthens Macon-Bibb’s ability to attract larger tournaments and the visitors that come with them.
“Having more fields in one location is attractive to tournament planners and allows for larger tournaments, leading to increased tourism spending,” said Visit Macon Director of Sales Charlotte Moody. “In fiscal year 2026, sports tourism contributed $17.5 million in economic impact to Macon-Bibb County, bringing 21,000 participants and fans.”
Stafford Builders & Consultants worked on adding new fencing, bleachers, lighting, and repairs to the existing field.
“We are ready to see this field being used after many years of disrepair,” said Recreation Department Director Robert Walker. “These upgrades will allow us to host bigger and better tournaments, bring more teams to Macon, and make better use of a field that hasn’t been able to reach its full potential.”
You can watch the full ceremony here.