Paola Martinez | Life & Arts Editor
Big Tex smiles, welcoming visitors with open arms in his full cowboy get up — boots, hat, ascot. “Howdy, folks!” he says in his characteristic Texan drawl. The State Fair of Texas at Fair Park, an unmissable cultural landmark in Dallas, will open its doors from Sept. 27 until Oct. 20, offering its 2.3 million annual attendees attractions, events and creative foods that may seem almost daunting. Here is what you need to know to have a make the most of your experience.
The Texas state fair was established in 1886 and opens annually for 24 consecutive days. It has a 132-year history of fried foods, parades, livestock petting zoos, live music and rides at southeast Dallas’ Fair Park grounds. Not to mention Big Tex — the 55-foot-tall cowboy welcoming all the fair’s guests once they enter the gates. With all its traditions and cultural history, the fair is a great event for the greater international student community at UTD and transplants from elsewhere in the country alike to enjoy the heart of Texas culture.
Like an amusement park or a day trip, the state fair is a full-day event that requires preparation. Before entering the gates of Fair Park, attendees must account for transportation and parking. The fairgrounds are accessible by car and have parking options; however, parking in the fair’s parking lots costs $30. Several other makeshift parking lots on open lots are available starting at $5, but tend to be blocks away from the fairgrounds, forcing attendees to travel on foot. The best way to arrive right in front of the gates is to take the DART, and if you’re a Comet with a DART pass provided free of charge by UTD, this transportation option is a no-brainer. Tickets can be bought online ahead of time at bigtex.com or purchased at the entrance. Cash is always preferred, as cash will be exchanged for ticket stubs. The stub will be used as currency to pay for food, rides and attractions.
The state fair is known for its crazy, weird, fun and most importantly fried foods – from fried Oreos to funnel cake to turkey legs, the state fair has it all. Fair food vendors have competed to come up with unique treats for the Big Tex Choice Awards since 2005, and the winning foods, decided by a panel of judges, are available for fairgoers to enjoy. This year, Dominican Fritura Dog, a double deep fried fritura cheese and Dominican salami created by Justin Martinez, won “Best Taste – Savory”; Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick, a thick 12-inch bacon strip spun with cotton candy created by Isaac Rousso, won “Best Taste – Sweet”; and Texas Sugar Rush Pickles, cotton-candy-flavored pickle slices coated in Lucky Charms, Froot Loops and Cap’n Crunch, layered in cotton candy, cotton candy sugar crystals, powdered sugar and drizzled with strawberry sundae syrup created by Heather Perkins, won “Most Creative.”
The state fair is also known for its weekly rodeo shows. Rodeo events are different each weekend, offering fairgoers a new experience with each visit including bull riding, barrel racing, calf roping and bucking horses. The rodeos are free with a general admission ticket and will take place in the Fair Park Colosseum within the fairgrounds. The rodeo is not the only place fairgoers can enjoy watching livestock; throughout the fairgrounds, various petting zoos are available by ticket admission. These petting zoos include miniature horses, pigs, sheep, rabbits and even llamas.
The state fair offers events such as the Starlight Parade, live music, the Texas Auto Show and rides and games. A daily schedule is available for download on the bigtex.com website so fairgoers can have a sneak peek of what is to come and choose what days to attend based on the events scheduled.
The state fair is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. General admission tickets range anywhere from $15-$25.