No other state fair does it like the great state of Texas! And if you need numbers to prove it, we’ve got them! Here’s how the State Fair of Texas did this year and when it will arrive in 2020.
According to a recent press release, the State Fair of Texas welcomed over 2.5 million fairgoers in 2019! That’s amazing! How many times did you visit the fair? There is so much to do and eat, you can’t possibly get through it all in one visit (but you can try). This fair needs at least two full-day visits.
The iconic State Fair of Texas is a tradition for all Texas as it celebrates all things Texan and features some of the best rides and definitely the best food creations. In fact, food continues to be this fair’s biggest attraction.
"From the release: “We are grateful to continue the great tradition of celebrating all things Texan while bringing friends and family throughout the state, nation, and world together to create lifelong memories,” said Mitchell Glieber, State Fair of Texas president. “As the 2019 exhibition comes to a close, we thank everyone who helped make this year’s Fair a success, enabling us to give back to Fair Park, the surrounding communities, and award college scholarships to students from throughout the Lone Star State.”"
Some fun 2019 State Fair of Texas facts:
- Military Appreciation Day provided free admission for more than 9,600 members of the military and their families.
- More than 5,600 first responders and their families visited the Fair for free on First Responder’s Day – a 24% increase from last year.
- More than 2.29 million free admission tickets were given to students and teachers throughout North Texas.
- On Friday, October 4, the 71st Annual Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction raised a record of more than $1.56 million for youth livestock exhibitors.
- So far in 2019, Big Tex Urban Farms has donated more than 17,200 pounds of fresh produce. This equates to 180,000 servings of fresh produce donated to the South Dallas/Fair Park community. During the Fair alone, the Farms have donated 1,174 pounds – equal to 17,000 servings.
- Twenty-five dogs found their forever homes at Bark in Fair Park, sponsored by DFW Rescue Me.
Everyone involved would love to extend a big thank you to all who participated and visited the fair. What was your favorite thing about the fair this year? To be honest, I feel like the food game was lacking and not as great as other years, but the spirit of the fair never dies and I still had a lot of fun visiting several times to soak in the sights and fun! Not to mention, just because there weren’t many mind-blowing food additions this year, doesn’t mean you can’t get some old favorites.
When will the fair come in 2020? No official date has been announced just yet, but it always falls around the same dates. In 2018, the fair was around from Sep. 28 to Oct 21, and this year it arrived Sept. 27 through Oct. 20. If you notice, that’s two days less. The year 2018 did have a lot of rain.
In 2020, the fair should arrive by late September and hopefully sticks around longer!