Fiesta Gardens listed on national historic register

Fiesta Gardens, the event space on the northern shore of Lady Bird Lake that hosts some of Austin’s popular music and community festivals, has just been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, joining more than 3,000 other historic listings in Texas. The park, whose official name is Edward Rendon Sr. Metropolitan Park at Festival Beach, has been open to the public since 1966 and is now operated by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. Designed by architect William C. Holmans, Fiesta Gardens is notable for being one of the first private complexes to operate on publicly owned land. Kim McKnight, who manages the environmental conservation program for the parks department, said, “Fiesta Gardens is a groundbreaking nomination for PARD and the recognition for community planning and development as well as social history makes it a unique listing. We are proud to have this history recorded and recognized.”