Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Holcomb.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Craig. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Fair Park was the site of the 1936 Texas Centennial, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of our independence from Mexico. Architect George Dahl headed a design team that created what is now the world’s best collection of art deco exposition buildings. The park is a national, state and local landmark on the same level as the Alamo.
It covers 277 acres and has five million visitors annually. About half of those come during the State Fair in the month of August.
Friends of Fair Park was founded in the 1980’s because the park buildings were being allowed to deteriorate and the city was considering demolishing them. A group of historic preservationists, business leaders and park supporters banded together to reverse that trend. They founded the Friends of Fair Park, a nonprofit whose mission is to restore the art and architecture of the Texas Centennial, support the Fair Park museums and encourage year round programming of the park.
Since its founding, Friends has been part of the team that has raised over $215 million in capital improvements for the park. That includes everything from updating mechanical systems to restoring outdoor murals to fixing roofs to recreating statues like the Texas Woofus that had disappeared over time.
A few years ago, the organization’s Board decided the park looked better than anyone had ever seen it and the time had come to focus on building attendance. They funded fairpark.org,, a website that is dedicated to the whole park and gets 500,000 visits annually, started producing Fair Park Fourth which is free to the public, has fireworks and patriotic music, and Dog Bowl when the Cotton Bowl becomes an off lead dog park for a year. Fair Park Fourth is broadcast live on WFAATV and regularly beats out other fireworks shows ratings wise.
Currently, Friends is working to have the city contract with a nonprofit to manage the park. Examples in Dallas, such as the Zoo and the Arboretum, show that a nonprofit can raise more private funds than the city because donors do not like to give funds to government agencies and can speed up decision=making.
Has it been a smooth road?
About twenty years ago, we proposed that the city increase the sales tax by one cent for one year. That would have netted enough funds to completely restore the park. Unfortunately, the voters did not believe the tax increase would go away in a year and decisively voted the proposal down.
Friends responded with the Unified Funding Plan in which we identified specific capital needs and coupled them with likely sources of funding both public and private. While we have not achieved everything on the Plan, it is the basis for the $215 million in capital improvements that have been occurred.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) had one light rail station on its plan for the south Dallas/Fair Park area. Park supporters felt strongly it should be adjacent to the park. Neighborhood leaders felt equally strongly that it should be in the neighborhood which had many transit dependent residents. Friend resolved that we were not going to argue with our neighbors at City Hall or in front of the DART Board. Working with the residents and the rail designers, we arrived at a solution beneficial to all – a stop at Fair Park and a station in the neighborhood.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Friends of Fair Park – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Friends of Fair Park is the only organization whose sole mission is improving Fair Park, a park beloved by generations from throughout the southwest. It is a place where the public come together and has a good time oblivious to all the factors which divide us.
Fair Park instills optimism.
Friends is proud to contribute to that.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I am a Dallas native. I served six years on the City Council. I went to Dallas Independent School District schools and graduated from SMU. My parents moved here when they were in elementary school.
I rarely travel because I cannot justify spending the money when there is so much here – trails, museums, great food, a lively music and theater scene,
As far as what I like least – that I do not have enough time to spend with my friends enjoying our city.
Contact Info:
- Website: fairpark.org
- Phone: 214-426-3400
- Email: jason@fairpark.org
- Instagram: fairparktx
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/fairparktx
- Twitter: @fairpark
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
