Slide of the Week: July 8th, 2004
Texas State Fair, Dallas, Texas, 1954
This week’s slide, TEXAS STATE FAIR, 1954, DALLAS TEXAS was inspired by my trip here today to do a slide show for the Dallas Video Festival. I never confuse slides with video but I guess they do -oh well. Anyway what a whirl wind day it’s been. From the time that I stepped off the plane into the blast furnace-like heat and humidity it’s been an action packed day of sightseeing, sweating, delicious Tex-Mex food and two (I splurged) margaritas.
Dallas is VERY lush and green right now, they’ve had a lot of rain this year. That made the afternoon tour of the city especially beautiful. My tour guide, Susan Teegardin (what a great name) drove me by the book depository where we all know what happened on that more than legendary day here in 1963. From there we were off to Lover’s Lane (a major east-west thoroughfare) to the AMAZINGLY well preserved and beautifully detailed 1947 art deco Inwood Lounge and Movie Theater, which has thankfully recently been declared a historic landmark. Before I knew it we were checking out the Frank Lloyd Wright Theater where the slide show will be tomorrow night. I wouldn’t say the theater is one of Wright’s best works but the next site on the tour, a house that he designed here in the oh-so snooty Preston Hollow neighborhood, more than made up for it.
Then came what must be the historic highlight of the entire lone star state�Fair Park where the Texas State Fair has been held every October since 1936. After I recuperated from the disappointment that the old neon Midway sign, pictured in the slide of the week was long gone, I nearly wept, ok, I shed a tear of joy or two over the SPECTACULAR monumental art deco exhibit buildings, sculptures and murals that date back to 1936. It was kind of spooky because the grounds were like a ghost town. There was not a soul to be seen as we wandered around in the roasting hot sun and moisturizing humidity. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that this has to be the grandest example of a classic International Style Exposition Park setting left in this country. It’s like going back in time to the 1939 New York World’ Fair. Come this October I may have to just come back to see the Texas State Fair in all of its glory! I hear the butter sculpture competition alone is worth the trip
Here’s to Dallas and the Texas State Fair!
Charles Phoenix
Los Angeles
July 2004
Sets this Slide belongs to:
Fairs, Festivals, Pageants and Parades
4 Comments on “Texas State Fair, Dallas, Texas, 1954 ”
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August 18th, 2006 at 4:47 pm
Wow, I reallly like your pictures. Keep up the good work.
See you at the state fair.
September 29th, 2007 at 4:53 am
hi charles!
our TEXAS state fair has opened and it was time to place this great pic on my message board. thank you so much for permission to use it!
i wanted to let you know that the beautiful neon midway sign in your picture is still there. it was just moved to another location. it is now over by the WRR radio entrance to the midway.
your site is great!
thanks again for the ok to showcase your midway pic!
debby lacy
October 20th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Well I went to the fair,with me and, a friend her and,I had fun I told my friend its been long time since I went to the fair.
But we had fun I did have fun,it was a lot of people like always.But me and,my friend did the wine tasting both at the fair,it was different I had the honey white wine,my friend had the red wine kind,this years fair 2007 of Oct was not bad at all.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I was working at the State Fair Music Hall as an Userette in 1954. It was one of the most exciting times in my life.
My friend and I would walk around the Midway while we were waiting to go to work. One day we were walking around the pond and Sammy Davis Jr. came riding a bike bye us. That was before he made the big time.
That night he put on a private show for all of us teens. It was to this day one of the best shows I have ever seen.