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Partly cloudy skies. Near record high temperatures. Low near 70F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy skies. Near record high temperatures. Low near 70F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
The State Fair of Texas coming later this month may not be the oldest state fair in the country, but like everything else in the Lone Star State, this massive 24-day celebration is the largest.
The State Fair of Texas coming later this month may not be the oldest state fair in the country, but like everything else in the Lone Star State, this massive 24-day celebration is the largest.
The State Fair of Texas coming later this month may not be the oldest state fair in the country, but like everything else in the Lone Star State, this massive 24-day celebration is the largest.
The State Fair of Texas coming later this month may not be the oldest state fair in the country, but like everything else in the Lone Star State, this massive 24-day celebration is the largest.
DALLAS — Fall festival time is upon us and while the State Fair of Texas coming later this month may not be the oldest state fair in the country, like everything else in the Lone Star State — bigger and better — this massive 24-day celebration is the largest.
Attracting over 2.6 million people to the historic 277-acre Fair Park just east of downtown Dallas last year, the fair is at the top of a list that includes state fairs in Minnesota, Arizona, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and upstate New York.
State fairs originated in the 19th century as a way to promote agriculture.
The oldest U.S. state fair is said to be the Great New York State Fair, first started in 1841 in Syracuse, where it is still held each year.
The State Fair of Texas began in 1886. With its event schedule of 24 consecutive days, it is also the longest-running fair in the nation.
Official greeter and mascot for the event is Big Tex, a 55-foot-tall cowboy statue that once had its clothes ripped off by winds from Hurricane Carla in 1961, and caught fire during the final weekend of the fair in October 2012, destroying his clothing, face and cowboy hat in a matter of minutes.
Officials later determined that the blaze started in an electrical panel under Big Tex’s right boot that apparently powered an air compressor to keep his clothing inflated.
A new and improved Big Tex was created the following year, and he now wears a size 200 x 325 (neck and sleeve) Western shirt that took sewing experts two weeks to make.
That compares to an average man’s 16 x 32 shirt size.
He has a 33-foot, 9-inch chest and shoulders that measure 13 feet. Instead of the traditional 10-gallon cowboy hat, Big Tex wears a 95-gallon model.
Another iconic symbol of the state fair is the 212-foot Texas Star Ferris wheel, part of a midway that also features more than 70 rides, including the Thrillway, the Kidway, the 500-foot Top o’ Texas Tower, Texas Skyway, Sparkletts Log Flume and the 1914 Dentzel Carousel, along with enough games to challenge and entertain all comers.
This year’s fair is scheduled for Sept. 30 through Oct. 23, and a new attraction is the Fair Park Coliseum Rodeo, free with an admission ticket.
Activities designed especially for family-fun include such things as magic shows; BMX, skateboard and scooter exhibitions; the Peewee Stampede and Rodeo; cow milking demonstrations; the Mattress Firm Illumination Sensation that combines dancing waters, fireworks, high-energy music with dancers and acrobats; the Oncor Petting Zoo; Livestock Birthing Barn; Big Tex’s Farmyard; pig races; dog shows; bird shows; strongman juggling; and a lot more.
Multiple live music stages are located throughout the fair grounds with shows presented every day, including such performers as Trace Adkins; Ashanti; Lucinda Williams; Night Ranger; Chris Perez Band; Vandoliers; Le Freak; Jason Boland and the Stragglers; Fitz and the Tantrums; Resurrection, a Journey Tribute; La Mafia; Girl named Tom; Summer Dean; Joshua Ray Walker; Jamie Lin Wilson; Rosie Flores; Justin Pickard and the Thunderbird Winos; Sarah Johnson; Squeezebox Bandits; and dozens more.
In the middle of Fair Park sits the famed Cotton Bowl stadium, home of the annual Red River Showdown football clash between the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma.
This year’s nationally televised contest is on Saturday, Oct. 8. Kickoff normally is at 11 a.m. but has not yet been officially announced.
And it would not be the State Fair of Texas without food.
Along with such things as deep-fried BLT, deep-fried lasagna roll, deep-fried ice cream and a whole slew of lip-smackin,’ belt-busting delicacies, new items on this year’s menu are to include bacon jam corn bombs, a bag of egg rolls, bucket of cheese fries topped with beef and bacon, chicken on a stick, country-fried shrimp grits, deep-fried pancakes, deep-fried peach cobbler soul rolls, deep-fried shrimp etouffee, deep-fried toffee, fried Mexican bread pudding; lobster corn dog; southern fried ice box lemon pie balls and so much more.
Visit bigtex.com for full details, tickets and plenty of information to plan your visit.
John Clark is a longtime contributor to the Fort Hood Herald and a former teacher with the Copperas Cove Independent School District.
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