Dororthea Dix Park, Part III: The park proper

In addition to the Gipson Play Plaza and scores of buildings shown in previous posts of this series, on Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, N.C., has sufficient area among its 305 acres to exhibit traditional attributes of a park, such things as scores of trees and plenty of open space and beautiful landscaping. 

The lead-off photo depicts a nice portion of what is referred to as “the big field” at Dix Park, space used for such things as concerts and festivals. One such example was the annual spring weekend Dreamville festival, which concluded its four-year run in 2025 (city and Dreamville officials have said a new four-year festival is in the works, but no details have been made public as yet). 

Or you can go to the big field just to roam, which is what I used it for when I was there Tuesday. 

The big field technically is a mix of rolling land that steadily goes up or down hill, depending on the direction you’re headed. The area in the foreground of the above picture is at the top of the hill. One goes downhill as he or she proceeds in the distance shown in the middle of the photo. 

It’s at that opposite end of the field that the park abuts the State Farmers Market property, and a stroller need only recognize the bright orange roofing as he or she draws closer and closer to the end of the field to appreciate the proximity of the market. 

I’m not sure what kind of work is being done on the right side of the photo, where the orange fence and construction implement is located, but I did read somewhere that there is a bandstand being installed in the field, and perhaps this is where that is going. 

To view a full gallery of photos from the “park proper” portion of my shoot at Dix, follow the link in this sentence.   

Above and below: The objective of this sculpture by DeWitt Godfrey, titled Attun, is to blend “natural mathematics and computational design with community context.” Godfrey used corten steel and stainless steel fasteners to create this 2023 work. Corten is a durable copper-chromium alloy designed to resist corrosion and does not require painting. The sculpture is intended to be visual-only; signage asks visitors not to climb on it.  

Above: A view of the downtown Raleigh skyline from Dix Hill, just outside the Greg Poole Jr. All Faiths Chapel.

Above: With a combination of rollers and banked turns, this pop-up pump track enables anyone to sharpen their bike, scooter or skating skills. It is open March through May each year.

Above: Sunflower Power Poles, easily visible from Lake Wheeler Road, the park’s eastern perimeter, is an art work created by Thomas Sayre and installed in partnership with the Duke Energy power utility. The sculpture transforms traditional utility poles into art, paying tribute to Dix Park's popular annual field of sunflowers, which visitors can find in the park interior from early July to early August. Raleigh-based Sayre, a sculptor and painter, has created and built public arts projects throughout the world. Another of his best-known local works is Gyre, the large three-piece ellipse on the grounds of the North Carolina Museum of Art.