Dallas—More than a Convention City

Dairy Foods,  May, 2000  by Donna Berry

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Centrally located in the Lone Star State, Dallas provides visitors with the perfect blend of Southern hospitality, cosmopolitan flair, Old West charm and modern sophistication. With Institute of Food Technologists' 2000 Annual Meeting and Food Expo running during some of the longest days of the summer, there's no excuse to not explore the city during the hours before or after the show.

If you arrive on Friday, be sure to attend the Dallas Farmers Market on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Though opened daily almost every day of the year, June 10 will be the Dallas Farmers Market's first annual "Taste of Texas Farms." Activities include chef demonstrations and sampling of fine Texas cuisine, comparative tasting of fresh Texas produce and an educational program on food safety. Farmers will also be on hand to educate attendees on how to select the freshest produce and sell their state-grown products. Located in the downtown central business district, there is no cost to browse the 11 acres of market or to attend this event.

Speaking of food, did you know that Dallas offers four times more restaurants per person than New York City? Not only is there no better place to get a big hearty steak, juicy barbecue ribs or sizzling Tex-Mex fajitas, but Dallas chefs are also responsible for creating a variety of fine dining experiences.

Before you decide on a restaurant, you may want to check out the city's web site (www.ci.dallas.tx.us), where it provides food inspection scores on eateries throughout Dallas. Especially if you are involved in quality assurance, you will find these scores interesting and helpful. The scoring system is based upon 100 weighted points assigned to 44 categories that summarize health and sanitation regulations ranging from food protection to property conditions. Remember check out the site before you go out to eat.

For the record, the frozen margarita and chicken fajita were both invented in Dallas. And did you know that nearby Irving is the birthplace of Dr

Pepper or that the State dish is chili?

To get a non-caloric taste of Dallas, check out the nation's largest urban arts district, with its more than 160 galleries and museums and more than 100 live performances every night.

If all you have is an hour to spare, a quick stroll from the convention center brings you to the West End, which is where the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is located. This is the site of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, and home to a memorial and educational exhibit in his honor.

Finally, if you are unable to break away from the show, here are some interesting facts on the convention center's expansion that is currently under way. When complete, it will contain more than one million square feet of exhibit space and will boast the largest column-free exhibit hall in the world, one with a 40-ft ceiling so exhibits can stand Texas tall. It has 105 meeting rooms and two ballrooms, as well as a super-sized arena with 9,800 seats, making it one of the leading convention sites in the United States.

Did you know?

The State Fair of Texas takes place at Fair Park, a 277-acre national historic landmark located directly southeast of downtown Dallas. Owned and operated by the City of Dallas, Fair Park contains the largest collection of 1930's art deco architecture in the United States. The park is home to eight museums.

The World's largest bronze monument standing at the Dallas Convention Center has more than 40 bigger-than- life long-horn steers, horses and cowboys in a Texas cattle drive.

The State Fair is the largest exposition in all of North America with more than three million in attendance in 24 days This year's fair is scheduled Sept 29 Oct 22.

The welcome statue at the Dallas Zoo is the tallest statue in Texas, soaring 67.5 feet tall. Guess what it is [ldots]naturally, a giraffe.

The McKinney Ave. trolley, which operates daily, is the largest volunteer-run system in the world.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Dallas Theatre Center, the only free-standing theater built to his design.

The TV series "Dallas" featured the city and its surrounding area, for 13 years. It has been shown in some 96 different nations[ldots]and presently is on its first run in more than 40 countries

Texas is larger than France, Belgium Holland, Switzerland arid Luxembourg combined It covers 267,339,square miles and has a population of 19.7 million.

Dallas is the 9th largest U.S. city, with a population of 1.7 million.

COPYRIGHT 2000 BNP Media
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