Friends of Old City Park Conservancy:
It is with great excitement and gratitude that I begin my tenure as the new Board Chair. The excitement stems from the opportunity to lead an organization that has a long history of supporting great programs and making a real contribution to the City of Dallas. The gratitude comes from knowing I have the support of our dedicated Board, members, and volunteers. There is much to do, and I will need your help.
As you know, on May 27, 2024, we turned over the day-to-day management, operations, and maintenance of the park to the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department. Although we no longer manage the park, our Board of Trustees made it clear that we intend to actively support the park as volunteers and donors. Thus, the work continues.
Last month, at our Annual Members Meeting held at Browder Springs Hall on Main Street, we heard from park staff about ongoing programs and events, including Nature Walks with Nancy, a Hispanic Heritage Month exhibit and cultural festival, and films at the park. For more details about programs at the park, visit https://www.dallasparks.org/684/City-Park
We are happy to announce that we are partnering with the City of Dallas and Preservation Dallas to produce Holiday Village, a Return to Candlelight on December 13-14, 2025, 5 -9 p.m. As one of the oldest holiday events in Texas, Candlelight has always represented the beginning of the season in North Texas, and it’s back this year with vendors, storytellers, performers, Father Christmas, and of course–kettle corn! We are proud to sponsor this
event and hope you’ll join us as volunteers and attendees. Stay tuned for details on where you can sign up to volunteer and purchase tickets to attend.
Our commitment continues with volunteer Cleanup Days, which happen on the first Saturday of every month. Volunteers on our Building and Grounds Committee have adopted Millermore and Miller Cabin, and have committed to cleaning and maintaining the flower beds of these two iconic structures, and we welcome additional volunteer help. Reply to this email if you’d like to help out.
We also encourage members to participate in Cedars Open Studios on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 11 am-6 pm. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary season, what better way to support the neighborhood and its artists than by touring the creative spaces of over 150 artists who call the Cedars home. For more information, visit https://www.cedarsopenstudios.org/
If you haven’t renewed your membership, please do so. We cannot do this work without your help, and every contribution matters. Become a Donor Member Today! Those who make a cash donation of $100 or more automatically become “Members” of the Dallas County Heritage Society/Old City Park Conservancy for the year, are invited to our Annual Meeting, have the chance to vote for our leadership, and receive our e-newsletter. Please join us: https://oldcityparkconservancy.org/supporters/
We’ll use this newsletter to keep you informed as the City of Dallas, the Dallas Historical Commission, the State of Texas, Preservation Dallas, the Cedars Neighborhood Association, and other entities work together to shape the future of the park.
Thank you for your support and commitment! I look forward to working with you to help keep Old City Park a vibrant, relevant place to learn about and enjoy our remarkable city.
Most sincerely,
Sharron Wilkins Conrad
Board Chair
boardchair@oldcityparkconservancy.org
