Thanks-Giving Square in Downtown Dallas was designed to bring people together and highlight the importance of gratitude.
“Our mission is to come together on common ground and move together on higher ground,” Kyle Ogden, president and CEO of the Thanks-Giving Foundation, which oversees Thanks-Giving Square, told NBC 5 DFW. “We need to appreciate our differences of opinion rather than fight over [them]. Clearly, we need to find common ground where we can, but ‘differences’ is not the bad word we think it is. If we all thought and looked exactly alike, this would be a boring place.”
Located at 1627 Pacific Ave., the square was brought to life in 1964 by businessmen.
“It was built right in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination as a way for the city to come together and show the rest of the world that there was something in Dallas beyond just being what that unfortunate reputation was at the time,” Ogden shared with NBC5.
The square features flowing waters from the “Great Fountain,” a bell tower, and the famous “Golden Rule” painting. It also features a structure symbolizing the ancient spiral of the human spirit known as “The Chapel of Thanksgiving” and a stained glass piece known as “Glory Window.”
“For more than 40 years, the architecturally significant, spiritually important Square has joined together myriad religions, cultures and traditions by providing a public space dedicated to gratitude. … Thanks-Giving Square is more than just a park. It’s a place where we can all stand together on common ground, reflect on gratitude and appreciate the diversity of our community,” reads the website for the square.
There is a wall named “Statements of Gratitude” where community members can express what they are thankful for.
Following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, there were several notes on the wall expressing thanks that Trump had survived.
“I’m thankful that Trump didn’t get assassinated,” an emotional Judy Fane told NBC 5.
Fane brought her childhood friend from Alabama to the square.
“This was one of the important places she wanted to take me first,” said Jamie Benjamin, who is visiting from Alabama. Bejamin left a note expressing her gratitude for Trump’s survival.
Thanks-Giving Square hosts various community programs, including mindfulness workshops, food truck visits, and community concerts.
The Thanks-Giving Square Garden is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the Chapel of Thanks-Giving is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, click here.