Take a trip to the Texas State Fair | Everything's bigger in Texas.

At the Texas State Fair, the world’s tallest cowboy, Big Tex waits to greet you. He’s 52 feet tall and wears a 95-gallon cowboy hat. Texas goes all out in a big way with its State Fair, and you’re in for lots of family fun. For the price of admission, you can attend over 100 daily performances, go on 70 Midway rides and play plenty of Midway games. Of course, the fair food, competitions, exhibits, livestock, cook-offs and shows remain a tradition — in true Texas style. Bring your whole family and all your friends. Charter a bus and save yourselves the hassles of navigating Dallas fair traffic and finding parking.

When and Where Is the Texas State Fair?

The Texas State Fair takes place in Dallas at the Fair Park location: 1945 Lagow Street, Dallas, TX 75210.

Fair gates open September 29 at 10:00 a.m. and gates close when the fair ends on October 22 at 10:00 p.m.

After the first day, fair gates open daily at 7:00 a.m. Exhibit buildings open at 10:00 a.m. daily. Exhibits close at 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and at 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

What Can You do for Fun?

Listen to Music

At the Chevrolet Main Stage, there are 75 different headliners along with regional musicians, who will take the stage over the 24 days that the fair lasts. You can hear everything from country to Tejano, rock, and hip-hop.

There are also four more stages for music performances: The Bud Light Stage, Carnival Lido Deck Stage, Dr. Pepper Stage and the State Fair Wine Garden Stage.

The U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, from Washington D.C. will play for crowds daily, giving concerts in the Marine Corps Square and also perform nightly in the Starlight Parade from September 29 through October 9.

The Texas Auto Show

Numerous brands are showing their finest at the Texas Auto Show, including Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GMC, Hyundai Kia, Jeep. Lexus, Nissan, Ram, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Classic Corral is another traditional auto show where vintage car owners bring their car collections and put them on display.

College Football

The Cotton Bowl Stadium sits in the middle of Fair Park and you can watch the Prairie View A&M University v. Grambling State University game on October 7 or watch the University of Texas v. University of Oklahoma game on October 14.

Food

Food is always a fair-featured item, and this year the 2017 Big Tex Choice Awards has categories like “Best Taste” in “Savory,” and “Sweet.” There’s a Celebrity Chef Kitchen where popular Texas chefs present culinary demonstrations and give out free samples. The state fair showcases Creative Arts competitors and their recipes are in the State Fair Cookbook (already released). The Beer Garden and Wine Garden are also a draw for many visitors.

Newer Fair Attractions

Texas in the First World War

This year’s fair theme is “Celebrating Texans” and a display unique to 2017 is the “Texas in the First World War” exhibit. Visitors can get an in-depth perspective of what Texas’ role was in the First World War, which the U.S. entered in 1917, a 100 years ago. Wartime memorabilia and vehicles, such as a Model T ambulance and 1917 Indian motorcycle are on display at the Hall of State. The D.A.R. House is also showcasing original artifacts, such as weaponry used in WWI.

Big Tex Urban Farms

Big Tex Urban Farms opened in 2016 and is back again with its remarkable urban garden system. The exhibit promotes agriculture, education and community participation. At the same time, communities benefit from its fresh, organic produce grown in mobile planting beds. You can see a small-scale version of the hydroponic system in the Errol Greenhouse in Texas in the Science Place building.

Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center

No state fair is complete without livestock, and the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center opens this year in a 55,000 square foot facility. The center will operate throughout the year for shows, meetings, events and conventions. Its goal is to develop educational programs, and fairgoers who are looking to gather more information about agriculture can take advantage of it. The “I Spy Texas” takes you on an interactive Texas road trip to find out about natural resources and wildlife Texas has in various regions.

Plan Your Trip to the Texas State Fair!

There are a number of reasons why chartering a bus is a great way to visit the fair. It’s not just economically advantageous. It’s also safer than any other form of U.S. ground transportation and greener too! Leave the stress of traffic and parking behind you and enjoy your visit where you can all arrive at the same time and relax while getting there.