Dallas Fair Park - 31. The Embarcadero. (original) (raw)

31. The Embarcadero

On the northwest corner of Cotton Bowl Stadium near the left wing of the Hall of State, the Embarcadero serves as another reminder of the Texas Centennial Exposition. When it was built for the celebration, the structure was called the Food Exhibit Building as a supplement to the Agriculture Building across the street, evidenced by the similarity in architectural design. The Food Exhibit Building actually consisted of two sections joined together by a small lobby. The lower part became the Embarcadero after the exposition and upper half served the public as the Creative Arts Building.

The Embarcadero
Photo courtesy Clint Skinner, February 2016

Walking up the steps toward the main entrance, visitors looking to the right will notice a smaller entryway that leads to a restaurant called The Dock. The eatery serves the standard cuisine during the fair, but offers plenty of insight into the fair's past. There are photos and illustrations of various attractions from days gone by, accompanied by sites which have withstood the test of time. One area showcases pictures of diners visiting for the Red River Showdown. There are also some historic relics displayed on the walls.

The main area of the building serves as a place for merchants to sell their products at the state fair. Outside of the annual event, the 27,000 square feet of space remains empty and unused. The oldest feature is an exhibit space owned by the Gebhardt Chili Company. Made for the exposition, it has wooden beams forming the ceiling, green walls for the sides, an armoire and front counter constructed from pecan, and a back counter made out of Mexican tiles.

Good Fulton & Farrell planned and supervised renovations for the Embarcadero to preserve its deteriorating structure. Although the company was contacted for the job in 2000, actual construction did not start until 2003 because there was a lack of revenue. The project came to a close in 2005.

December 12, 2016
© Clint Skinner

| References: 1.Bigtex.com 2.Dallashistory.org 3.Dallas Morning News Archives 4.Fairpark.org 5.Slate, John H. Historic Dallas Parks. Arcadia Publishing, 2010. 6.Tshaonline.org 7.Watermelon-kid.com 8.Wikipedia.org 8.Winters, Willis Cecil. Fair Park. Arcadia Publishing, 2010. | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |

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