Welcoming more than two million visitors each year, the State Fair of Texas fills 24 days with food, rides, live music, exhibits and longtime fair traditions. The festivities span 277-acre Fair Park, a National Historic Landmark known for its collection of 1930s Art Deco architecture. Even longtime fairgoers can find something new each year, from creative food entries and entertainment to new exhibits and attractions. And 2026 is an especially notable year to visit as the State Fair of Texas celebrates its 140th anniversary.
Eat and Drink Your Way Through the Fair
Start With a Fletcher’s Corny Dog
Food is one of the biggest draws at the State Fair, and Fletcher’s Corny Dogs rank among its most recognizable traditions. The Fletcher family has been serving fairgoers since 1942, beginning with its Original Corny Dog and expanding over the years to include variations such as turkey and veggie dogs.
Discover the Big Tex Choice Awards
Beyond the classics, State Fair vendors are known for transforming familiar foods with unexpected ingredients, mashups and plenty of deep-frying. The annual Big Tex Choice Awards showcase those creations, with entries competing in savory, sweet, drink and creativity categories.
Past contenders have turned tater tots into taco shells, replaced burger buns with deep-fried deviled eggs and transformed dishes like pho and charcuterie boards into fried fair food. Sweet creations have been just as inventive, ranging from bourbon banana caramel sopapillas to cotton candy-wrapped bacon. New entries debut each year, giving repeat visitors something different to seek out alongside fair staples like corny dogs and turkey legs.
The Midway
The Midway is the State Fair’s hub for rides, carnival games and classic fair entertainment. One of its most recognizable attractions is the 212-foot Texas Star Ferris wheel, which carries riders high above Fair Park for panoramic views of the fairgrounds and the downtown Dallas skyline. Visitors can also find thrill rides, family-friendly attractions and games offering the chance to take home a prize.
Must-See Attractions
Say Howdy to Big Tex
Big Tex, the fair's 55-foot-tall icon and official greeter, got his start in 1949 as a giant Santa Claus built for the town of Kerens, Texas, before State Fair president bought him in 1951 and had him reworked into the cowboy Texans know today. The moment you see 55-foot “Big Tex” and hear that iconic “Howdy, folks!” phrase booming from his animatronic mouth, you know you’ve officially arrived at the State Fair of Texas. Big Tex is impossible to miss, and he’s always a great first-stop photo op.
See the Creative Arts Winners and Butter Sculpture
Of course, a tradition going back to the early days of the fair finds people competing for blue ribbons in a variety of categories, from arts and crafts to pickled foods. Visit the Creative Arts Building to see all the winning entries, as well as the over-the-top butter sculpture, which is made from real butter. Past designs have featured life-sized cows and horses, as well as legends like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, and Big Tex himself.
Visit the Livestock Barns and Animal Attractions
Also paying tribute to time-honored traditions and the fair’s roots, the barns are classic places to visit. There, you can interact, pet, and feed a variety of barnyard beasts, marvel at massive livestock, catch the pig races, enjoy the dancing dogs, and watch demonstrations featuring majestic horses.
Catch the State Fair of Texas Rodeo
Throughout the fair’s duration, you can catch the State Fair of Texas Rodeo each weekend.
The Auto Show
If you love sitting behind the wheel of all the latest models, including giant pickup trucks and state-of-the-art electric rides, you’ll find a lot to love at the Texas Auto Show. With one of the largest collections of cars you’ll ever see under one roof — and outside, too — it’s one of the most popular places to visit year-in, year-out.
The Starlight Parade
A longtime State Fair of Texas tradition, the Starlight Parade brings a little extra glow to Fair Park after the sun goes down. The parade was reimagined in 2022 with a new lineup of floats and continues to wind its way through the fairgrounds each night of the Fair. Fairgoers can expect illuminated, over-the-top floats, along with life-size puppets, costumed characters and plenty of colorful surprises along the route. For the latest parade time during your visit, check the State Fair’s daily schedule.
Concerts
Each day (and multiple times per day) live music can be found on the Chevrolet Main Stage and throughout Fair Park. Acts range from local bands to superstar entertainers, representing every musical genre imaginable.
With the closest hotels to Fair Park found only a few minutes away in downtown Dallas, a day or two at the State Fair is a great way for the whole family to kick off the fall season in Texas.
College Football
One of the biggest traditions at the State Fair of Texas is the Red River Rivalry, the annual college football showdown between the University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners. Played at the Cotton Bowl during the Fair since 1929, the game divides the stadium at the 50-yard line into a sea of burnt orange and crimson. More than a football game, it’s a decades-old tradition that brings two passionate fan bases together for one of college football’s most anticipated matchups.
