New Rides at Fair Park

Officials at the State Fair want to open the Midway to year-round traffic. With the opening of the Green Line on Sep 14 this year, more people are expected to attend the Fair and to go to the museums at Fair Park the rest of the year.

Officials are talking about adding two rides -- an $11 million Space Needle ride and an $8 million roller coaster. The Space Needle is planned to be 500 feet tall and carry 150 riders on a winding path to the top and back down. In contrast, the Texas Star is 212.5 feet tall and Reunion Tower is 560 feet tall. If you can keep your eyes open on the ride, the views should be spectacular.

The rides haven't been ordered yet. If the receipts for this year's State Fair increase above $30 million, officials say they will go ahead with the rides. It sounds like a reasonable investment to me. The Green Line will make it so much easier to get to Fair Park. I look forward to riding the train and not wondering if I'm parking someplace official or not.