Dealey Plaza

Looks Like the City May Allow Free Speech on JFK 50th After All

There are signs -- hints, indications, wisps of smoke in the wind -- suggesting we might get out of the JFK 50th observations in one piece after all. I've been quick to suggest Dallas would blow itself to smithereens with a bizarre compulsion to shut down free speech at Dealey Plaza come November 22 ... More >>

Dallas Still Wants to Control Speech on JFK Anniversary

Is the Trilateral Commission behind an anti-conspiracy conspiracy?

Smokie's Barbecue is in a Gas Station, and Like All Gas Station Cuisine It's Delicious

What's better than shack barbecue? Nothing. Or so I thought, until I was tipped off about the next level up of ridiculousness: Gas station barbecue. That's right. Smokie's is a full-on barbecue restaurant, with a menu that if anything is a little too big, inside a gas station (or a petrol station, r ... More >>

Dallas County is Rushing to Finish $600,000 Founders Plaza Redo Before JFK Anniversary

In the lead-up to November 22, the city's focus has been on Dealey Plaza and how to get it ready -- and keep it clear of conspiracy types -- for the official commemoration of JFK's death there 50 years ago. But its neighbor one block to the east, Founders Plaza, is primed for a facelift as well. Th ... More >>

Assassination? What Assassination?

When it comes to JFK, Dallas is stuck in the denial stage of grief.

Morning News Keeps the Silence Rolling on the JFK Anniversary Controversy

Story by Rudy Bush in today's Dallas Morning Pravda about plans to refurbish Dealey Plaza, the place where Dallas killed Kennedy. Typical straight-up just-the-facts news objective reporting, don't you know. Except the story ends with a fund-raising appeal: "Those interested in providing assistance c ... More >>

Dealey Plaza Redo Will Be Cheaper Than Expected, So Private Donors Can Now Put Away Their Checkbooks

Judith Segura thought raising the $1 to $2 million in private donations needed to restore Dealey Plaza before the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination would be a cinch. It wasn't. "It's been a lot harder than I expected, frankly," Segura said. "There was nobody who didn't agree completely ... More >>

Assassination Fascination

Million-Dollar Dealey Plaza Facelift Goes to Landmark Commission

We've known for a while now that the city will keep the the 2013 commemoration of John F. Kennedy's assassination "classy," we just haven't known exactly how. We still don't, but we now know that it will involve a fairly significant touch-up to Dealey Plaza. The architecture firm Good Fulton & Farr ... More >>

Robert Groden: The Plaza Man

In this week's Dallas Observer, we profile 30 of the metro area's most interesting characters, with new portraits of each from local photographer Mark Graham. See the entire Dallas Observer People Issue here On November 22, 1963, the day President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot in Dealey Plaza, R ... More >>

All of the Lights: Dallas Edition (Photo)

Photographer Stephen Masker, whose work you may remember from such sites as this one, sent us this sharp, sensational photo that he nabbed from Dealey Plaza on Friday evening. Not sure if it's the buzzing neon, but I couldn't help but hear this. Lets you know you're home, no?

Dallas' Quest to Keep the 50th Anniversary of JFK's Death "Classy" Will Fail, and Fail Hard

Let's be clear about this. Old, rich keep-a-lid-on-it Dallas is not going to rule next year's 50th anniversary observations of the Kennedy killing in Dealey Plaza. No matter what it takes. The official City of Dallas JFK Assassination 50th Anniversary Celebration Committee, named in a story this mo ... More >>

Alex Jones, King of the Conspiracy Theorists, Vows to Bring the Masses to Dealey Plaza

Alex Jones, host of Infowars and national guru of conspiracy theorists, recently took up the cudgel for free speech at Dealey Plaza on the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination. Vowing to bring "tens of thousands" to Dealey Plaza next year, Jones said on today's broadcast he hopes Dallas enjoys ... More >>

Dealey Plaza's Trayvon Martin Protest a Sign of Loud, Good Things to Come?

Sunday the Dallas Peace Center chose Dealey Plaza, where JFK was killed almost a half century ago, as the site for a protest demanding justice in the killing of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. It's hard to feel good about anything associated with the Martin story, but Dealey Plaza was a good place ... More >>

The 50th Anniversary of JFK's Death Could Be the Start of Something Good and Loud

The Sixth Floor's Message to History: Just Hush Now

Let's Throw a Surprise Party for the 50th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination

On June 13, 2010, Dallas police arrested and jailed Robert Groden, author of best-selling books on the Kennedy assassination and a consultant to the Oliver Stone movie, JFK. The police accused Groden of violating a city law against selling books in Dealey Plaza, where the assassination happened almo ... More >>

Gassy Knoll: Dark Forces Silencing JFK Conspiracy Folk

Dallas is playing to its City of Hate stereotype for assassination's anniversary.

Pinpointing the Shadowy Figures Behind the JFK Conspiracy ... the Other Conspiracy, That Is

​Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry to bother you. Got a second? Hey, I'm not asking for money. I just need a favor. Do you know this guy, Frank Librio? Would you be able to get in touch with him for me? He's the spokesman for the city of Dallas. Very intelligent man, professional, used to be in tel ... More >>

Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, Digitally Restored For National Geographic Channel Doc

Speaking of a Dealey Plaza's redo ... I've had a copy of National Geographic Channel's JFK: The Lost Bullet sitting on the desk for a week; haven't watched it yet, but there's time -- it doesn't air till Sunday at 8 p.m. And while it's said to show Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone on November 22, 1963 ... More >>

City, Sixth Floor Museum to Split Cost of $1.5 Million Dealey Plaza Redo Down the Middle

From the Dealey Plaza renovations briefing the council's Quality of Life Committee never got to hear earlier this year​We first told you back in May that Dealey Plaza is due for a makeover, which involves redoing the north and south plaza pergolas, planting new way-finding and history-of signs, a ... More >>

The Dallas Way to Honor John F. Kennedy in November 2013: Silence Pesky Free Speech

​Dear John F. Kennedy Library Foundation: Good move on blowing off the Sixth Floor Museum and executive director Nicola Longford regarding her plans for a 50th anniversary commemoration of the Kennedy assassination in Dealey Plaza. Believe me: You don't want to touch this gang with a 10-foot ... More >>

City Hall Blames Dealey Plaza Arrest On Sixth Floor. Can You Guess Who Sixth Floor Blames?

​Just for the sake of historical accuracy, I would like to point out that the city of Dallas has claimed in court filings that the Sixth Floor Museum was behind the June 10, 2010, arrest and incarceration of Kennedy assassination author Robert Groden, who is charged with illegally selling lite ... More >>

Oh, Dealey? City Council to Clarify How and When It'll Go After Vendors on Park Land.

Photo by Mark GrahamRobert Groden at his usual spot in Dealey Plaza​Jim and I've spilled a lot of virtual ink in recent months writing about Robert Groden's legal battles with the city of Dallas over his selling JFK assassination-conspiracy wares in Dealey Plaza -- specifically, beneath one of the ... More >>

Dealey Plaza Redo: Beware the Goon Squads

​Yesterday's city council committee briefing on restoring Dealey Plaza was all very well. The well-intended and the well-heeled have joined together to raise money for a well-designed refurbishing of the place where President John F. Kennedy was ... well, you know ... shot. I'm sure it will b ... More >>

Dealey Plaza Redo Will Be Public-Private Deal. And It Has To Be Done By November 2013.

Just two of the many amazing photos found in the Dealey Plaza redo PowerPoint​Schutze went to that Dealey Plaza chitchat at City Hall this afternoon. Only, the Quality of Life Committee didn't have quorum, so, per council rules, all the council got was a read-through of architect Jonathan Rollins' ... More >>

Dealey Plaza Needs Another Makeover. Let's Look at the Proposed Plan For Phase Two.

Click to embiggen the original 1939 rendering for Dealey Plaza, one of many historical gems contained in the council briefing package​Remember how offended everyone got when Los Angeles-based photographer Donald Barnat penned his dispatch from Dealey Plaza back in March? Sure you do. Wrote Barnat, ... More >>

City Hall's Kennedy Conspiracy

Kennedy assassination author and conspiracist Robert Groden says the city's out to get him. He may be right.

Bobby Jack Pack Takes Aim at Dealey Plaza

A Friend of Unfair Park sends word that the great Bobby Jack Pack, a Best of Dallas winner and local film-making institution, is this close to wrapping a documentary on Dealey Plaza and, more specifically, those populate the site where President John Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963. He des ... More >>

L.A.-Based Photograper Insists "The Disrepair at Dealey Plaza ... Is An Insult to History."

Photo by Harry Wilonsky​Vanity Fair's Jim Wolcott directs our attention today to a dispatch from Los Angeles-based photographer Donald Barnat: "Disappointment at Dealey Plaza," posted yesterday. Long story short: Barnat was in town during the Super Bowl and, like most visitors to our city, found h ... More >>

The Schutze Card: Don't Leave Home Without It

​Two things. First, I would like for people to quit bitching about my photo. One guy wrote in that he found it "disturbing." Well, WTF, Einstein. It's not meant to be a sympathy card. Second: Another guy wrote in with a really good idea yesterday. I had written about how the city is persecuti ... More >>

By Chasing Robert Groden from Dealey Plaza, City Hall Conspires to Make Dallas Look Asinine

​Let's not even get into the underlying issue of whether Robert Groden should be able to sell his books and magazines about the Kennedy assassination on Dealey Plaza downtown. Just for grins, let's put that to one side. What gets me is the extreme Vladimir Putin-style in-your-face we're-not-e ... More >>

Again, Muni Judge Dismisses the City's Case Against Dealey Plaza Vendor Groden. Next Stop: County Court of Criminal Appeals!

Robert Groden​I certainly hope this doesn't become a daily occurrence; no doubt you feel the same way. But there has been a development today in the city's case against Robert Groden, the JFK conspiracy theorist who's been selling his materials in Dealey Plaza for almost two decades and now finds ... More >>

City, With DA's Assist, Appeals Muni Judge's Decision to Dismiss Case Against Robert Groden

​It's been seven months since we first told you the story of Robert Groden, the Kennedy conspiracy theorist and author and Oliver Stone consultant arrested and detained by Dallas police for peddling his pamphlets in Dealey Plaza. Three weeks ago, it looked as the story might have come to a conclus ... More >>

Just In Time For the Super Bowl, Dallas Is Making One Last Push to Wipe Away Graffiti

Photos by Patrick MichelsDallas is cleaning up its image before the Super Bowl. We'll start with Dealey Plaza.​As quiet as Dealey Plaza's been since the truth-bearing publishers were cleared out, you could forgive a few tourists for being concerned this morning to find the place crawling with cops ... More >>

Dealey Plaza Vendor's Lawyer Has a Very Strong Opinion About New "Solicitation-Free Zones"

Robert Groden​Yesterday, in the comments to the item about the city's new-and-improved panhandlingsolicitation ordinance, longtime Friend of Unfair Park Syd Nancy wondered: "Will this affect the JFK Conspiracy Guy who sells stuff down by the Depository?" Syd's referring to Robert Groden, who's cur ... More >>

City Files Motion to Dismiss Robert Groden's Suit, Then Withdraws Pending a Conference Call

Robert Groden​After the jump is the city's 25-page motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Robert Groden on June 30, in which alleges, among myriad other things, that the city and the Dallas police are harassing him and violating his First Amendment rights because they won't let him sell his conspi ... More >>

Cupcakes and Motorcades: Judge Sets Hearing in Case of Robert Groden v. City of Dallas

Cupcakes and the Kennedy motorcade, not just a band name anymore​Update at 4:47 p.m.: The City Attorney's Office just sent a statement concerning Robert Groden's lawsuit and his efforts to sell his magazines and DVDs at Dealey Plaza. It's in full on the other side, but here's an excerpt:Robert Gro ... More >>

He Loves the '60s: Hal Sparks Is Currently Shopping at the Sixth Floor Museum Gift Shop

​Tonight Hal Sparks is at the Arlington Improv. But based upon this just-posted Twitpic (headline: "They sell weird books at the Kennedy Assassination museum in Dallas") and the accompanying video, he's at Dealey Plaza ... right now, people, right now. I hope he runs into Robert Groden. Or gets a ... More >>

The City's Chased Away Those Dealey Plaza Vendors, But At Least You Can Get a La Duni Cupcake at the Sixth Floor Museum Now

Photos by Patrick MichelsSoft. Comforting. Tacky?​"Life's too short to be serious." Printed on a tiny, squishy yellow pillow. For sale at the Sixth Floor Museum Store Cafe. You know, the one that caters to patrons of the Sixth Floor Museum, the museum that features exhibits about the untimely de ... More >>

City Gives JFK Conspiracy Theorist Robert Groden 14-Day Reprieve, Which Means He'll Be Back at Dealey Plaza Perch Saturday Morning

City of Dallas Municipal ArchivesOn a related note, while I was doing some Dealey Plaza research I came across this original 1939 sketch in the city's archives.​Finally, the city of Dallas sends word. It has no Official Comment on the federal suit Robert Groden filed against the city on Wednesday, ... More >>

Noted JFK Conspiracy Theorist Robert Groden Files Federal Suit Against Dallas, Claiming He Was Arrested and Harassed in Dealey Plaza

Evan ClintonThe scene down at Dealey Plaza today, where vendors selling their wares were noticeably absent​Maybe you heard: A couple of weeks ago, Dallas police began cracking down on vendors at Dealey Plaza selling maps, magazines, books and other conspiracy-theory whatnots. Deputy Police Chief V ... More >>

During Friday's Rally for Flotilla Casualties, A Reflection of Gaza Down at Dealey Plaza

Patrick MichelsA pro-Palestine rally at Dealey Plaza on Friday afternoon ended with a march to Memorial Park, a show of solidarity with activists trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. You'll find more photos in our slide show. The long war over Gaza played out in miniature down at Dealey Plaza ... More >>

Yet Again, Erykah Badu's Naked. Ish.

​Vibe's touting the cover of its June/July issue as "controversial" and "iconic." Not hardly. There have been plenty more naked magazine covers than the one seen here. Like this. And, this. And, all of these. Still, the Lady of the Lake continues to reap the benefits of a nude springtime stroll th ... More >>

Schutze Says We Should All Do a Badu and Get Naked at Dealey Plaza--and That Includes Him

Miss Demeanor: Dallas PD Writes Erykah Badu a Disorderly Conduct Ticket

​Pete's headed out to Dallas Police HQ for a 4:30 press conference, during which the department will announce that, sure enough, it's charging Erykah Badu with something for that "Window Seat" striptease filmed in Dealey Plaza in mid-March."Yes, we are going to charge her," DPD spokesman Senior Co ... More >>

Erykah Badu Went to Dealey Plaza, Got Naked, Shot Video. City Hall Distances!

On March 17, Erykah Badu and a small crew went down to Dealey Plaza to shoot a very naked video for "Window Seat."​Earlier this morning, Pete posted the evidence to DC9: Erykah Badu's "Window Seat" video, the latest informercial for New Amerykah Part Two: The Return of the Ankh, in stores tomorrow ... More >>

Airing New Research and Dusting Off Old Yarns, 46 Years After the Kennedy Assassination

Patrick MichelsErnest Brandt, who says he was an eyewitness to the Kennedy assassination, shows 11-year-old Mack Reed the window where Oswald fired from. More photos are up in this slide show.​Out at Dealey Plaza Sunday afternoon, there was something for everyone: fashion, literature, song and, fi ... More >>

Keepsakes From Camelot

Conspiracy Theory

JFK assassination buffs who peddle their wares on the grassy knoll think there's a plot to put them out of business. They may be right.