Culture Park (Kültürpark) is İzmir's central green space, a large park covering 421,000 square metres in the Alsancak district that contains the exhibition halls of the annual İzmir International Fair, a zoo, an open-air amphitheatre, restaurants, and extensive gardens. The park is a genuine retreat from the urban density around it, popular with families, joggers, and picnickers throughout the year.
The International Fair takes place from late August to early September and transforms the park into a major event, with pavilions from dozens of countries, live entertainment, and hundreds of thousands of visitors over the two-week run. Outside fair season, the park is peacefully quiet. The zoo is modest but free; the amphitheatre hosts concerts in summer.