The State Fair of Texas is an annual fair held at Fair Park in Dallas. It begins near the end of September and continues into the middle of October. The dates for 2008 are Sep 26-Oct 19. An estimated 3 million people attend the fair each year, bringing nearly $350 million to the Dallas economy. The State Fair kicks off each year with a parade through downtown Dallas.
Fairgoers can expect to see the best of the best at the many livestock competitions, creative arts competitions, the auto show, and the Big Tex Choice Awards – a selection of unique and usually fried fair foods. Entertainment includes acrobats, puppet shows, jugglers, a BMX stunt show, live music, performing animals, and more. The State Fair site includes a daily schedule of shows and demonstrations.
Since 1932, the Cotton Bowl has hosted many football games, including the Cotton Bowl Classic each winter. Football games at the Cotton Bowl in 2008 during the State Fair included Prairie View v Grambling (Oct 4, 6 p.m.), Texas v OU (Oct 11, 11 a.m.), and Texas A&M Commerce v East Central University of Ada, Oklahoma (Oct 18).
The midway is perhaps what we remember most distinctly as children. The midway has all the usual carnival rides, except perhaps bigger and better. The Texas Star is the largest ferris wheel in North America. The view from the top overlooks are neighborhoods, with the Dallas skyline nearby and the Fort Worth skyline farther away. A favorite ride of mine when I was a child – the Swiss Sky Ride – has reopened as the Texas Skyway, a gondola car that transports people from one end of the midway to the other. Midway rides and carnival food take coupons, which can be purchased at several places along the midway.
Popular musicians and groups perform concerts every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Chevrolet Main Stage is near the midway and the concert is free with admission to the Fair, so just show up and enjoy the music.
Fair Park remains open year-round, but during the State Fair, the museums put forth their best exhibits of the year. The eight museums house treasures from around the world as well as historical artifacts and exhibits about the local area.
Tickets cost $14 for most of us. Kids under 48 inches tall and seniors 60 and over cost $10. Children two and under get in free. Seniors also get in free every Thursday (Oct 2, 9, and 16 in 2008). Area schoolchildren often receive a free ticket for certain days. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Kroger's grocery stores starting Sep 1.
The State Fair of Texas is partnering with the Dallas Arboretum to offer a Garden Getaway Combo ticket. For $17, a Garden Getaway Combo ticket allows a ticketholder one admission to the State Fair between Sep 26 and Oct 19 and one admission to the Dallas Arboretum until Dec 31, 2008. The two tickets purchased separately would cost $14 + $8 = $22.
Another nice deal being offered is a discount on tickets to the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. Receive a $2 discount when you buy the tickets online using the code BIGTEX or take your State Fair ticket stub to the admission desk at the Dallas Museum of Art.
Parking costs $10 per car in official State Fair lots (map, pdf). Valet parking is available for $25. Enterprising individuals in the neighborhood surrounding Fair Park always have space for varying amounts. Take care not to park farther than you can walk.
On Saturdays and Sundays, park at one of DART's or the TRE's many Park and Ride locations and take the train into Dallas. Then board a shuttle to the State Fair from DART's Pearl Street Station (Red Line and Blue Line light rail).