State Fair news

Ken Paxton's attempt to halt State Fair of Texas gun ban gets denied

Guns will not be allowed at the State Fair this year.

Photo courtesy of the State Fair of Texas

A judge on Thursday, September 19 denied an effort by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to halt the recently announced ban on guns at the State Fair of Texas.

Dallas County District Judge Emily Tobolowsky denied the state's request for a temporary injunction to stop the ban from taking effect when the fair opens on September 27.

Fair officials’ announcement of the ban last month, which follows a shooting last year at the fair, was met with swift criticism from Republican state lawmakers, who have expanded gun rights in recent years. Texas allows people to carry a handgun without a license, background check, or training.

Paxton threatened to sue if the ban wasn’t repealed, and when fair officials stood their ground, he filed a lawsuit against the State Fair of Texas and the City of Dallas. The city owns Fair Park, the 277-acre grounds where the event is held.

Paxton has called the the ban an illegal restriction on gun owners’ rights, saying Texas allows gun owners to carry firearms in places owned or leased by government entities unless otherwise prohibited by law.

But Dallas city officials and fair officials have said the State Fair of Texas is a private nonprofit that leases the property from the city for its event. The city has said that the State Fair of Texas is allowed by law to decide whether or not they choose to allow fair-goers to carry firearms. Fair officials have said the fair is not a government entity, nor is it controlled by one.

Last year three people were injured in the shooting at the fair after one man opened fire on another. Videos posted on social media showed groups of people running along sidewalks and climbing barriers as they fled.

The fair, which runs 24 days, from September 27-October 20, dates back to 1886. In addition to a giant Ferris wheel and a maze of midway games, the fairgrounds are home to the annual college football rivalry between the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma.

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Park News

Dallas acquires 30-year-old amusement park for $13 million

Adventure Landing

An amusement park in Far North Dallas was purchased by the City of Dallas to be developed into a community park. The Dallas City Council voted during its December 11 meeting to buy Adventure Landing, a 30-year-old amusement park at 17717 Coit Rd. for the sum of $13.7 million with a goal to keep the park in business.

The 13.5-acre property has been an entertainment venue for the past 30 years, with mini golf, batting cages, soccer fields, and arcade games.

The previous owner, the Hildebrand family, previously turned down much bigger offers from developers because they wanted the buyer to carry on their mission and keep the park a park.

The Park and Recreation Department will operate the soccer fields, and Adventure Landing will manage all other facilities until a future park is constructed.

In November, the Park and Recreation Board unanimously approved the land acquisition item and recommended approval to the City Council.

“With the cost of land in the north Dallas area increasing in value, we are fortunate to secure this property to make sure residents have access to green spaces and new recreational amenities,” says Dallas Park and Recreation Board President Arun Agarwal in a statement. “Acquiring land in certain fully developed areas of the City for park purposes is exceedingly difficult, and this acquisition represents a unique opportunity for us as a city.”

A release says there aren't many parks in the area, and the closest parks are Preston Ridge Trail to the west, Twin Lakes Park to the south, and the Cotton Belt Trail, which is currently in the works.

“This acquisition represents far more than the purchase of land – it symbolizes a pivotal investment in addressing a critical need within a community with the fewest parks in the entire city," says District 12 Park and Recreation Board Member Lane Conner in a statement. "By creating this new park, we are taking a transformative step toward providing every resident, no matter their neighborhood, with access to exceptional green spaces."

Adventure Landing will keep the same name and management team under the new ownership.

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