The State Fair of Texas: Some Dallas Traditions Never Get Old

There are certain things that just feel like fall in Dallas, and the State Fair of Texas is one of them.

I haven't been to the Fair in quite a few years, but some of those memories don't go away. The noise of the Midway. The smell of food everywhere. Big Tex towering over everything. Cotton candy, saltwater taffy, tornado fries and, of course, a Fletcher's corny dog.

When I was growing up in Dallas, going to the State Fair was a big deal. We even got a day off from school and a free ticket to go. You went with family or friends, and if somebody got separated from the group, everybody knew where to meet.

Meet me at Big Tex.

The State Fair of Texas traces its history back to 1886, and the 2026 Fair runs September 25 through October 18 at Fair Park. A lot has changed over the years, but what surprised me when I started looking at this year's Fair is how many of the things I remember are still there.

You Can Hear the Midway Before You Get There

If you've ever been to the State Fair, you know exactly what I mean.

The rides. The music. The games. The bells and whistles going off everywhere. The barkers trying to convince you that yes, you absolutely need to spend more coupons trying to win some ridiculously oversized stuffed animal.

Come over here, little lady!

If you actually win the thing, you're thrilled for about five minutes. Then you realize you have to carry a giant stuffed animal around Fair Park for the rest of the day.

One thing that's hard to miss is the Texas Star, the 212-foot Ferris wheel that's become one of the icons of the Fair. From the top, you can look out over Fair Park and the Dallas skyline.

I also remember the old Birds of the World show. The birds would fly right over the audience, and one of the hawks would fly from way up around the Texas Star toward the show below. It was one of those things that was just really cool to watch.

The Midway is a huge part of the Fair, but there's plenty happening away from the rides. The pig races are still there, and so is the All-Star Dog Stunt Show. Livestock competitions, Creative Arts exhibits, museums and entertainment fill the grounds throughout the day.

Once evening comes, the Fair has a completely different feel. The lights come on, the Midway gets brighter, and the Starlight Parade makes its way through the fairgrounds every night.

Some Things Are Just State Fair Traditions

Big Tex is probably the most obvious one.

He's been welcoming people to the State Fair since 1952, and for generations of Texans he's been both a landmark and a meeting place.

Anybody who was around here in 2012 probably remembers the day Big Tex caught fire.

It happened October 19, the final Friday of the Fair, when an electrical short started a fire in his base. He was destroyed, and as silly as it might sound to somebody who isn't from around here, it was actually sad. Big Tex is just part of the Fair.

Fortunately, he was rebuilt and back saying “Howdy, Folks!” the following year.

The Texas Auto Show is another longtime tradition.

Going through those buildings and looking at all the new cars was always a big deal. You could sit in them, look at things you probably weren't going to buy and see what was new. The Auto Show is still part of the Fair today, and it's one of those traditions that has managed to stick around while the cars themselves have changed quite a bit.

The Creative Arts competitions have stuck around too. Cakes, pies, jams and jellies, quilts, crafts and all kinds of things people have spent months making get entered and judged. Winning a ribbon at the State Fair of Texas is still bragging rights.

Agriculture is still very much part of the Fair as well. Young people come to show livestock and compete, which is a good reminder that underneath all the rides and fried food, the Fair's agricultural roots are still there.

Let's Talk About the Food

You can go to the State Fair with every intention of being reasonable about food.

Good luck with that.

A Fletcher's corny dog is almost mandatory.

Then you've got tornado fries, cotton candy, funnel cakes, turkey legs, saltwater taffy and whatever new fried creation everybody is talking about that year.

I remember standing there watching them stretch the saltwater taffy. Years ago, I remember getting those little loaves of bread from Mrs. Baird's. Somehow, that was one of those things you looked forward to getting at the Fair.

Eventually you reach the point where you've eaten so much Fair food that you feel like you're going to explode and swear you are never eating again.

Until somebody walks by with something that smells good.

Then all bets are off.

And Then There's Football

You really can't talk about the State Fair without talking about college football at the Cotton Bowl.

The State Fair Classic brings Prairie View A&M and Grambling State together, and the football game is only part of the experience. The Battle of the Bands at halftime is a show all by itself. If you've never seen those bands perform, they are phenomenal. This year's game is September 26.

Then there's Texas-OU (Texas rules).

Or OU-Texas, if you're wrong.

Calling it a football game doesn't quite cover it. Texas-OU weekend is a Dallas event. Burnt orange and crimson take over Fair Park. You'll see Hook 'Em Horns on one side and Horns Down on the other.

Yes, it can divide households.

It's a fun kind of love-hate rivalry, but make no mistake, people take sides. More than 100,000 people come to the Fair for the game, which has been played at the Cotton Bowl during the Fair since 1929. This year's game is October 10.

There's Music Everywhere, Too

Live music is another big part of the State Fair.

You can be walking from one thing to another, hear music coming from somewhere and wander over to see what's happening.

Performances happen throughout Fair Park during the run of the Fair, and the concerts and live music are included with admission. It's worth looking at the schedule before you go because you may find somebody you'd actually make a point to see.

The Fair Is Easier to Get to Than It Used to Be

One thing that has definitely changed since I was growing up is getting there.

DART gives people another option besides driving and finding parking around Fair Park. The Green Line serves the fairgrounds, with connections available for people coming from other parts of DFW.

Yes, going to the Fair can still get expensive, especially once you start adding food, rides and games.

There are different ways to save depending on when you go. This year there are reduced-price days, senior discounts and other promotions. Those offers can change, so check the State Fair website before heading out rather than assuming what worked last year still applies.

More Than Rides and Corny Dogs

One of the things that's easy to forget is how much there is to see without ever getting on a ride.

The African American Museum is at Fair Park. There are exhibits, livestock areas and Creative Arts competitions. You can watch the pig races, see the stunt dogs, wander through the Auto Show, listen to music or just sit somewhere for a while and people-watch.

Honestly, people-watching at the State Fair is fabulous.

You have everybody out there. Families who have been going for generations. Teenagers running around the Midway. People dressed head-to-toe for Texas-OU. Somebody carrying a stuffed animal roughly the size of a Volkswagen. People who clearly arrived with a strategy for how much fried food they could consume before calling it a day.

Some people go once. Some make a whole day of it. Others buy season passes and go several times every year because that's simply what they do every fall.

Some Dallas Traditions Stick With You

The State Fair looks different than it did when I was a kid. Dallas looks different too.

But there is something fun about realizing how much of it is still familiar.

Big Tex is still there. The Cotton Bowl is still packed for Texas-OU. Kids are still showing animals. People are still competing for blue ribbons. The Midway is still loud. Somebody is still trying to win a stuffed animal that's entirely too big. People are still eating far more food than any reasonable person should consume in one afternoon.

Maybe that's part of why the State Fair has lasted as long as it has.

It's not just something that happens in Dallas every fall. For a lot of us who grew up here, it's part of our memories of Dallas.

I may not have been in quite a few years, but I can still hear the Midway, smell the food and picture Big Tex standing over it all.

And apparently, when I go back, I still know where to meet everybody. Big Tex.

What are your favorite memories of the State Fair of Texas?