Every year Parking Spaces around the country are transformed for a day into interactive and interruptive parks that challenge the way society uses urban space, in the form of PARK(ing) Day. In our third year of participation we decided to bring a bit of our borough to downtown Dallas. Studio Outside resides in Exposition Park, home of the annual Texas State Fair. Every fall Big Tex rises above the Midway, corndogs are tossed in the deep fryer, and the Ferris Wheel begins to spin. Inspired by the excitement and festivities of Exposition Park this time of year, we developed Fair PARKlet; a contemporary take on the interactive fair experience fully equipped with carnival games and custom benches to relax on a Friday afternoon on Dallas’ Main St. Our modular and striking design was a popular destination for this year’s festival where Dallas-ites could step off the sidewalk to play a game of skeeball or jenga while they listen to some of the city’s best musicians.
We even won a funky little trophy for Best in Show this year! Check out the galleries below for photos taken by Outsider Charlie Pruitt showing the intense construction process, the Fair PARKlet in action, and the celebration afterwards at the Nasher Sculpture Center.
Also huge thanks to those who helped by donating materials, plants, and seeds: Bilfinger, Douglas King Seed, Mountain States Wholesale Nursery, and Synthetic Grass Pros. Y'all rock!
