Dallas city leaders to address resident complaints over Fair Park concert noise this week

Later this week Dallas city leaders are expected to discuss the many complaints from East Dallas and Lakewood residents, after music from Fair Park could be heard miles away.

For two nights straight, residents in East Dallas and Lakewood say they heard something unusual loud music echoing through their neighborhoods.

“Here, you don’t expect loud music,” said Abraham Arrebla, who was in Lower Greenville on Sunday.

Neighbors described a steady, pounding beat that carried late into the night.

“This is the first time that it seems like we have an answer as to what it was this time,” said Wade Schaller, who lives in East Dallas.

The sound came from the Breakaway Music Festival and concerts at Dos Equis Pavilion.

Rudy Karimi with the Dallas Park and Recreation Department said the goal is to keep Fair Park vibrant while also protecting residents’ quality of life.

In a statement, he said city leaders will review the event this week to determine what improvements can be made moving forward.

“You could hear it all the way down the block, everything,” said Maxwell Stirnweis, who works at Laboratory DTX in Lower Greenville.

He said the noise quickly became a topic of conversation.

“It’s really cool to see all these new and interesting things come around,” Stirnweis said. “Yeah, it might be a little too loud when I can hear it over here, but it’s still super cool to see.”

Residents took to social media and neighborhood apps like Nextdoor to express frustration.

“Get to the bottom of it. We can’t have that — Fair Park is not Lower Greenville,” one resident said.

Meanwhile, Adam Bazaldua said the positioning of the stage, facing open land, combined with weather conditions likely allowed the sound to travel farther than expected.

“If they can keep it in Fair Park and keep the volume a bit down, then why not?” one resident said.

There were no concerts scheduled Sunday evening at Fair Park.

But for many neighbors, the experience has sparked an ongoing conversation about noise, and how far is too far when it comes to large events in the city.