Year after year thousands of people flock to the metropolitan area of Dallas to witness the giant known as Big Tex and attend the State Fair of Texas. With this year’s fair, the masses are already anticipating this event to be another monumental occasion for Texans and tourists to remember, which comes as no surprise. Everything is bigger in Texas.
Exhibitors and Food
Who can forget the innumerable amount of tasty food the fair delivers year in and year out? In an annual exposition that has become known as the “Fried Food Capital of Texas,” each year State Fair concessionaires fry up flavorsome and distinctive foods for a chance to become a finalist in the Big Tex Choice Awards.
In addition to the 2014 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists, State Fair concessionaires are pleased to offer a variety of new food items this year. Some of these new items include:
1. Deep Fried Smoked Brisket
2. Texas Fried Chicken in a Waffle Cone
These are just a couple of example food items, among a whole list of others. Plan to be on a diet for the upcoming weeks? Forget about it! Enjoy the deep-fried sensation of foods that are exclusive to the great state of Texas. Your taste buds will experience the sensation of what I like to call “All Fried Everything.”
Along with the great food comes a wide range of exhibitors. Among the most popular exhibitors at the State Fair each year are the livestock shows, contests, and equestrian events. State Fair equestrian shows include barrel racing, mounted shooting, team roping, and more. With several pre-fair and during-fair events, these enjoyable competitions showcase skills of cowboys and cowgirls from across Texas and the Southwest.
The livestock shows display many animals from goats to steers and the fair hosts’ intercollegiate contests for high school students and undergraduates. No matter what age you’ll be sure to find an exhibit of interest. Grab your family and friends and have a blast walking the fairgrounds in search of new, exciting exhibitions. Try as you might it will be hard to see everything in one day.
College Football
What would the State Fair be without a little college football? Located in the middle of Fair Park sits Cotton Bowl Stadium, the historic home of countless gridiron grudge matches that have taken place for decades. The most notable of these matches are the State Fair Classic and the Red River Rivalry.
The State Fair Classic, played by the Grambling Tigers and Prairie View Panthers, has existed since 1980 when the two teams first traveled to Dallas to go head-to-head on the grass of Cotton Bowl Stadium. This game is filled with great football for four quarters and a spectacular battle of the bands during halftime. This year’s game will be played on Saturday September, 27th and the kickoff time is at 4:00 PM.
The most exciting game during the fair is a showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners known as the Red River Rivalry. This game, which has existed since 1929, brings thousands of fans from the two states and beyond to engage in high-scoring, fast-paced football. This year will be no different and on Saturday October, 11 these two teams will square off for pride, glory, and bragging rights for an entire year. UT managed to come away with the victory last season and with a whole new host of beer and fried foods at this year’s fair, the Texas fans and the Longhorns are sure to give OU another good run for their money.
Live Music and Entertainment
One of the cornerstones of the State Fair of Texas is live entertainment with almost 90 performances throughout the course of 3 and a half weeks. Performing on the Chevy Main Stage in this year’s free concert series are a host of regional music groups of all genres. A few of the featured acts that will be headlining the event include:
The Swon Brothers (Finalists of NBC’s “The Voice”)
Lucy Hale (Four-time Teen Choice Award Winner, Gracie Allen Award Winner, Star of ABC’s “Pretty Little Liars)
Kool & the Gang (Two-time Grammy Award Winner, Seven-time AMA winner, 25 Top Ten hits)
Performances on this festival-style stage are included in State Fair admission and you can access the full lineup of artists performing by clicking here.
Among the other attractions are light shows, MAPAPA African Acrobats, an auto show, creative arts, shopping and plenty of fun for the entire family. Don’t forget the State Fair Midway that features more than 70 rides including the Texas Star Ferris Wheel, the largest Ferris wheel in Texas. Even dad will scream on some of these rides.
Visit the State Fair of Texas
Every year my family and I manage to make it out to the fair to take part in all the things it has to offer. The exhibits, food, drinks, fun, and games are attractions that anyone of any age can enjoy.
How much is it you might ask? A General Admission Ticket is $17 for Adults and Season Passes are only $39.95. Not too bad considering the enormous amount of activities that are offered. You may also visit the Big Tex website for additional ticket information.
Either way come out this year and enjoy one of the biggest annual events in Texas history. Coordinate getting together with friends and family on allcal to enjoy the experience of a lifetime. Don’t forget, allcal now lets you share photos so you can upload pictures from the fair and chat with your friends to let them know what a good time they’re missing out on.
The 2014 Texas State Fair will be held September 26-October 19 at Fair Park in Dallas. If you’re like me then you can’t wait for the thrilling events ahead and to witness the giant that is Big Tex. Have fun and see you at the fair!
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