"We saw an opportunity to demonstrate its potential while we pursue the right long-term partner." That is how Henry Florsheim, the city's director of economic development, described the Phillips Property to D Magazine in a sponsored feature this August. In other words, the new park in Historic Downtown Cedar Hill is temporary. The Cedar Hill Economic Development Corporation owns the 2.68-acre site and plans to keep it open as a gathering space while the city looks for a partner to build a permanent mixed-use development with restaurants, retail, entertainment or open space.
For Shenandoah households and the rest of the 75104, that makes this winter worth noting. The Cedar Hill Farmers Market held its last listed 2026 date on Oct. 24 at the park, 104 S. Broad St. Nothing has replaced Saturday mornings there. What remains on downtown's calendar is a short list of free evenings and two Saturday markets, and all of it ends by Dec. 10.
The lot is open now and doesn't have an end date
The city opened the park on Saturday, Aug. 22, with coffee, mimosas, food trucks and live music from Maya Piata and Band. The site has an interactive asphalt mural, colorful shade structures, trees in containers, outdoor seating and open lawn. More than 450 feet of banners now turn the temporary fence along the back of the property into a public art installation.
The city's Heart of the Hill Downtown Action Plan sets out the long-term plan for the site. Cedar Hill adopted the plan in early 2026 after nearly a year of community input. In September, the city announced that the plan had won a Silver Award for Urban Design at the 2026 Texas Planning Awards. The plan is a framework for downtown investment. It has no construction schedule, and the city hasn't said when the temporary park will close. So the lot works the way it does today until a developer is chosen, and residents get no advance notice of when that happens.
The city also uses the park as a sales pitch. D Magazine reported that the temporary use is meant to let prospective developers see how the property draws people, supports events and helps connect Historic Downtown. Every evening a crowd turns up there, developers can see how well the site works.
The weekly market moved out, and two smaller schedules remain
From May through October, the farmers market ran every second and fourth Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vendors this season included If Jesus Made Quesadillas, Lemondaze, Wild Cedar, Grow North Texas and Mama Ella's Popcorn, with the lineup changing from date to date. No winter or holiday market dates have been posted.
What has been posted falls into two schedules. Zumba in the Park takes over the Phillips Property on certain weeknights. On two Saturday mornings, a few blocks away at Pioneer Park, 600 Cedar St., the Shop Small Cedar Hill Neighborhood Market fills in some of the time the farmers market used to cover. Here is what's on the calendar from this week through Dec. 10:
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 5 | Zumba in the Park | Phillips Property, 104 S. Broad St. | 6:45–7:45 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Shop Small Cedar Hill Neighborhood Market | Pioneer Park, 600 Cedar St. | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Zumba in the Park | Phillips Property | 6:45–7:45 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Fall Beautification Day | Traphene Hickman Library and Signature Park, 450 Pioneer Trail | 8 a.m.–noon |
| Thu., Nov. 19 | Zumba in the Park | Phillips Property | 6:45–7:45 p.m. |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | Zumba in the Park | Phillips Property | 6:45–7:45 p.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Holiday on the Hill | Historic Downtown, 600 Cedar St. | 5:30–8:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Shop Small Cedar Hill Neighborhood Market | Pioneer Park | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Zumba in the Park | Phillips Property | 6:45–7:45 p.m. |
The table includes Fall Beautification Day even though it takes place at Signature Park and the library, not downtown. It is the only other city event on these Saturdays. Breakfast and supply pickup run from 8 to 9 a.m., followed by volunteer cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon, and a habitat restoration project at Signature Park runs 9 to 11 a.m.
Weeknight evenings are the park's last regular schedule
Zumba in the Park started again on Sept. 1 and has been meeting at the Phillips Property on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The class is free and open to all fitness levels, and Visit Cedar Hill asks people to bring a water bottle. Those twice-a-week sessions have now been cut back to a handful of added dates. Tonight's 6:45 p.m. class is one of them, and the last one listed is Dec. 10.
One date needs checking. Visit Cedar Hill's event page lists Dec. 1 as the early-December class. The city's calendar also has a Dec. 1 entry, but the city's Zumba description also lists Dec. 3 as an added date, the same evening as Holiday on the Hill. The table above leaves Dec. 3 off for that reason. If you plan to dance on the night of the tree lighting, check the city calendar that week before you go.
Saturday mornings shift a few blocks to Pioneer Park
Chasquis Records hosts the Shop Small Cedar Hill Neighborhood Market with Visit Cedar Hill. It brings vintage finds, handmade goods, music, art and food to Pioneer Park on Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. The market is outdoors, and weather has already cancelled one: the Oct. 3 edition was called off. That leaves two remaining Saturdays, so a single rainy morning would cut the rest of the year's schedule in half.
Chasquis Records also has a storefront at 217 Cedar St. If you come for the market, you can keep shopping inside the shop afterward.
Holiday on the Hill draws the biggest crowd downtown, and parking fills first
On Thursday, Dec. 3, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Holiday on the Hill fills Historic Downtown with the official lighting of the City of Cedar Hill tree, photos with Santa, kids' activities and games, live performances and photo spots. Admission is free.
The event page says downtown parking is limited and offers a shuttle. A simple plan for the evening:
- Drive to the JCPenney parking lot instead of downtown.
- Catch the shuttle, which runs every 10 to 15 minutes from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and drops riders in Historic Downtown.
- If you're staying for dinner, keep an eye on the clock, because the last shuttle runs at 8:30 p.m.
Where to go before or after
Visit Cedar Hill keeps directories of downtown restaurants and shops. Both are good starting points for a pre-Zumba coffee or a meal after the tree lighting. The dining list includes:
- Coffee: 1846 Coffee at 610 Cedar St. and White Rhino Coffee at 203 W. Belt Line Rd.
- Close to Pioneer Park: Sam's Pizza at 601 Cedar St.
- Along Main Street: Babe's Chicken at 200 S. Main St., Phat Girlz BBQ at 107 S. Main St. and Sneaux Nola at 109B S. Main St.
- On Belt Line: Campuzanos at 213 W. Belt Line Rd. and Lela's Seafood at 329 W. Belt Line Rd.
The shopping list covers holiday errands. It includes Reading Shack at 109 S. Main St., Corner Square Quilts at 702 Cedar, Decor on the Hill at 608 Cedar, Jessica's Flowers & Gifts at 612 Cedar, Cedar Hill Market at 208 Houston and Tawni Haynes Boutique at 316 W. Belt Line Rd. #202. The directories don't post hours for every listing, so call ahead before planning an evening around one stop.
What comes after Dec. 10
The calendar shows nothing at the Phillips Property after the Dec. 10 Zumba class. Cedar Hill's next new attraction is planned for a different part of town. City Council approved Go Ape Adventure Park on Aug. 25 for a site in Midtown, with treetop ziplines, rope bridges, tree houses and canopy walks. The city's announcement didn't include an opening date. The downtown lot's future depends on which partner the city chooses and when, so the weeknights and Saturdays above are the dates you can count on.
Kevin keeps up with what's planned for downtown Cedar Hill sites like the Phillips Property, and with how those plans affect the neighborhoods nearby, Shenandoah included. If you'd like to know how downtown's changes could affect your home, Kevin McDonald II is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.
