Following repeated instances of violence, the City of Frisco put an immediate end to the Frisco Fair by revoking the events permit on May 1.
The fair, taking place at the Frisco Fresh Market, was originally supposed to run from April 28 through Sunday, May 14.
“The City of Frisco has revoked the special event permit for the Frisco Fair, effective immediately, May 1, 2023. As such, the Frisco Fair will NOT open today. Additionally, the Frisco Fair’s remaining schedule in Frisco is canceled due to public safety concerns,” the City explained in a news release.
The City pointed to several incidents that led to the decision, including repeated calls regarding arguments, fights, and gunshots. Furthermore, on April 29, it took 26 police officers several hours to restore order, and it was determined emergency gates were either non-existent or padlocked.
The City determined that the event presented “an unreasonable danger to the health or safety of the organizer, other users of the venue, City employees or the public.”
Police Chief David Shilson of the Frisco Police Department said in a subsequent statement, “The safety our residents and visitors to Frisco is our top priority. For this reason we will not wait until someone is seriously injured or killed before we take steps to keep our community safe.”
“What we saw Saturday night at the Frisco Fair posed a threat to Fairgoers, surrounding residences, and businesses,” he continued. “Officers heard gunshots and confirmed shots were fired through witness statements. Fortunately there were no gunshot victims.”
“We worked with the event organizers to put increased security measures in place based on previous issues with the Frisco Fair,” the chief added. “Unfortunately those increased measures were unable to prevent the events of Saturday night from occurring.”
“While there may be disappointment by people who wished to attend the event, the safety of everyone is paramount and that was the basis for the decision to revoke the special events permit in accordance with Frisco’s Special Event Ordinance,” Shilson concluded.
The City said that anyone requiring a refund for pre-purchased tickets should contact the fair operator, Tally Amusements.
In a statement to WFAA, Tally Amusements suggested that it will seek legal remedies if necessary to see the fair reopened or be compensated for its lost revenue.
“Five generations of the Talley family have provided safe, enjoyable family entertainment in North Texas and throughout the United States. The security plan Frisco approved for Talley included employing nine off-duty police officers,” the statement reads.
“Talley offered specific steps, similar to those implemented at a local mall with the same ongoing issues, but the city refused to consider these suggestions. Talley’s attorneys are considering next steps to either reopen the event with these additional safeguards or to recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue and expenses caused by the city’s actions,” according to the statement.
Frisco was named the safest city in America by financial technology company SmartAsset, which compiled a list of cities based on violent crime, property crime, drug poisoning, mortality rate, and more, as reported by The Dallas Express.
