Grand Prarie, a town that is located in Tarrant, Dallas and Ellis counties, has a population of more than 175,000 people. With a long history of flooding from Johnson Creek, which flows through the town, a major project was undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1980s as an effort to straighten the channel and in turn, reduce the flooding. With more than 44,000 households, the city has thousands of garage doors. Grand Prarie is part of the humid subtropical region, so it has hot, humid summers and mild, damp winters.
There are several major employers within the city, including Grand Prarie Independent School District, Lockheed Martin Missles and Fire Control, Bell Helicopter - Textron, Vought Aircraft Industries, Hanson Pipe and Products, Siemens Energy and Automation, Poly-America Inc., Wal-Mart and the city itself. Two major businesses have headquarters in Grand Prarie, Airbus Helicopters Inc. and Six Flags, which operates the theme parks.
Grand Prarie has several attractions or spots of interest. Among those places that people visit include Lone Star Park, which is home to the Thoroughbred Meeting every Memorial Day. The GPX Skate Park has hosted X Games trials in the past. Verizon Theatre at Grand Prarie is a state of the art facility that has many concerts and other events. A two-mile long seasonal light display, Prarie Lights, has more than 500 lighted displays with three million lights. The 40-day annual event always draws crowds of thousands.
Grand Prarie is a growing city, and provides the opportunity for a variety of recreation. There are opportunities for various cultural exhibits and sporting events. The city is also the home of a minor league baseball team and their stadium, the Grand Prarie AirHogs. The largest flea market in Texas, Traders Village, is open weekends and often has special events scheduled. Grand Prarie is an active community in the metroplex area, and is expected to continue to grow and develop during the years ahead.