A piece of downtown Fort Worth history will get one final celebration Sunday before the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena — known as the “Flying Saucer” — is torn down.
The free farewell party, called “It’s Goin’ Down,” will be the final event inside the arena, which has stood downtown for nearly 60 years.
“It’s not gonna come around again next year. This will be the final event,” Andra Bennett, with the Fort Worth Public Events Department, said.
Bennett said the convention center was built in 1968 and opened by Bob Hope.
Over the decades, the arena hosted concerts, sporting events, graduations, conventions and other gatherings. NBC 5 signed on to sponsor Sunday’s celebration.
The Fort Worth Convention Center arena, known for its distinctive “flying saucer” design, is set to be demolished next year. But before it comes down, the city has plans to give the longtime landmark a proper sendoff.
Dickies Arena, which opened in 2019, has since become Fort Worth’s go-to venue for many major events. Plans called for the Convention Center Arena to eventually be demolished and replaced with new space.
“This arena is being replaced with more traditional convention center space with a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and more breakout rooms to accommodate multiple convention clients here in Fort Worth and drive our tourism economy,” Bennett said.
Sunday’s celebration gives visitors one last chance to step inside the longtime downtown landmark before demolition.