Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson recently announced the details of the 26th annual Mayor’s Back to School Fair, which will be held on August 5 at Fair Park.
Johnson made the announcements alongside some of Dallas’ most recognizable faces, including Little Big Tex, Champ from the Mavericks, and the Dallas Police Department’s McGruff the Crime Dog.
The back-to-school fair returns in person this year. The event was downsized the past two years, with parents driving up or attending with a hybrid walk-up model used in 2021.
Johnson highlighted that this year’s fair is needed more than ever, citing a record-breaking increase in the cost of school supplies. He noted that inflation and the rising cost of food and gas have hit families hard.
The fair will help alleviate some of the economic pressure on families, the mayor said, as they can obtain school supplies and learn about valuable resources and services for free.
Parents must pre-register to attend the fair, which can be done online beginning July 29. Families living in Dallas County with children in Pre-K through 12th grade are eligible to register and must meet income or federal poverty level guidelines to qualify.
“I’m a living witness to what an education can do to change someone’s life,” Johnson said. “And I believe, as leaders, it’s our job to provide hope and opportunities for all of our families, particularly those living in underserved and overlooked communities like the ones I grew up in West Dallas.”
Incoming Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizade was at the mayor’s press conference and called on parents to “seize the opportunity for assistance.”
“We don’t have an achievement gap; we have opportunity gaps. And this is one of those opportunities that our mayor is helping lead. Let’s close those opportunity gaps,” said Elizade.
The city is working on finding more sponsors and donors for this year’s fair; as Mayor Johnson stated, the “need will be great.”
For more information or to register, visit the city’s website, mayorsbacktoschoolfair.com.
