Who We  Are

Fair Park is a 277-acre National Historic Landmark in Dallas, famous for hosting the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition and boasting the world's largest collection of Art Deco exhibition buildings. However, for decades, the massive campus struggled to exist outside of large events such as the annual State Fair of Texas. By the 2010s, deferred maintenance and a vast expanse of concrete parking lots left the site disconnected from the surrounding South Dallas neighborhoods. In mid-2010s, the Dallas City Council sought privatization to drive philanthropic investment and revitalization.

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In October 2018, the Dallas City Council unanimously approved a sweeping management contract with a newly formed 501(c)(3) nonprofit - Fair Park First. We officially took over the park's overarching management in 2019, partnering with a private operations company to handle day-to-day operations. Our primary mission was to restore the historic buildings, increase year-round programming, and transition the park from "grey to green."  

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In 2020, we released an updated Master Plan. The centerpiece of this vision was the Community Park project—a plan to reclaim acres of massive parking lots and transform them into a vibrant, accessible greenspace for the neighboring communities. In our first few years, we successfully secured over $30 million in philanthropic investments toward capital improvements including the Community Park.

Since early 2024, our organization has faced a period of intense public scrutiny and transition. A series of procedural audits were conducted which revealed that the nonprofit's third-party operators had improperly managed donor-restricted funds to cover daily park operating expenses.

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In the wake of the audit's fallout, the overarching management contract was terminated, and the daily operations and general management of the Fair Park campus were returned to the city's Park and Recreation Department in September of 2025.

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Emerging from this turbulent period, we have pivoted to a highly focused, specialized role - a park conservancy. On February 25, 2026, the Dallas City Council unanimously approved a new agreement, allowing Fair Park First to dedicate its full attention and resources to delivering its original marquee promise - the Community Park. Now operating with renewed transparency and a singular mission, we are focused on closing the final funding gaps and breaking ground on the long-awaited park by late 2026.

Fair Park First is governed by a focused Board of Directors comprised of accomplished civic, business, legal, financial, faith, and community leaders. Our Board provides strong governance, fiduciary oversight, and strategic leadership, ensuring accountability, transparency, and alignment with community priorities.

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The staff of Fair Park First is a small but mighty team of dedicated professionals who have steadfastly guided the organization through a period of significant challenge and transition.

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Fair Park First is focused. We are focused on delivering this long-awaited greenspace, which will transform the site's largest parking lot into a year-round destination for neighboring communities and beyond.

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Once that work is complete, we will focus on the next project—one that brings needed improvements, expanded uses, and enhances the overall vitality of the iconic Fair Park campus, guided above all by what our community wants.