- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
State Fair of Texas
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
53 reviews for State Fair of Texas
This is the king of all fairs with an endless assortment of fried foods, rides, and carnival games.
With that in mind, here are a few pointers:
1. Make one walk through the fairgrounds before going ticket-spending crazy. A lot of the games repeat with different prizes. There's usually multiple food stands for the same item too. (except fried Coke)
2. Yes, they do accept credit cards to purchase your admission ticket and food tickets.
3. Most of the rides are 8-10 tickets per person (=$4-5)
4. Parallel park along one of the side streets a block or two over from the fair entrance, if you're lucky enough to find a spot. If not, park in one of the vacant lots...the tenant will usually charge you ~$15. Try not to get scammed!
5. Apparently they have nightly concerts on the main stage that are included in the admission? Check those out to get your monies worth too!
Overall, a great fair, just be sure your wallet can handle it.
Veni, vidi, vici! I came, I saw, and I conquered...fried butter, that is! It was my initiation to the Fair and to the Red River Shoot-Out (5 years too late), so I thought it was appropriate to sample the best of the best during the last weekend of The State Fair of Texas!
I won't repeat what most Yelpers have already stated, but for those who are first-timers like myself, here are a few helpful hints for next year:
1. Buy discounted tickets: I bought mine at Kroger's for 1.50 off of regular price of admission, but the Fair also does discounted days during the weekdays. Always, always check out deals for tickets because trust me, you'll need that extra cash for the games/food!
2. Buy your game cards + food coupons in bulk: I know you don't think you're gonna need THAT much coupons/credits,and you think that you'll just buy more as you need it...but TRUST ME, it's easier to buy them all in the beginning than having to wait in line over and over when you run out of them, and when there's an even bigger crowd. I was so thankful I bought ours mine at the beginning and never had to re-load. As the afternoon progressed, those ticket lines were horrendous!
3. Have the map handy, especially for the food finalists that you would like to sample. It's easy , really. Have a plan, and pace yourself! For me, that meant hitting up the Fletcher's Corny Dog stand at the entrance, then working my way clockwise around the fair. In between, I'd play games, sight-see, catch the dog show, etc. My day basically went in a rhythm: Food / Games / Food / Auto-show / Food / Dog-show / Food/ more games, etc. Again, the key to eating all the fried goodies is to PACE YOURSELF!
4. Eat all the fried goodness you want! Seriously, when are you ever going to have an excuse to indulge on all this artery-clogging goodness again?! Life is too short not to sample food phenomenons like FRIED BUTTER. Do it, and check it off your bucket list.
AND lastly, for all my fellow-Longhorns out there, DO go during the TX/OU weekend even if you don't have tickets...because there's no sight better than a sea of burnt orange. =) HOOK EM!!!
I get it. I really do. The State Fair is a right of passage. It's something that has to be experienced at least once to get it off the list. Been there, no interest in going back.
The State Fair is a total beat down. I'm not kidding. But then again I'm not into cars or butter sculptures or frying things just to be the freakiest fried thing and to see if someone will eat it. No...the Fair for me was always just about going to see the Texas-OU game. That was it....then I moved to Dallas and had kids.
Now the quasi-joke is that you can reproduce the fair at home. All you need to do is go out in the backyard on a hot day, eat a can of Crisco straight, burn a couple hundred dollars and beat each other with sticks and you, too, can reproduce the experience. You might think I'm joking, but when you look at the reality of the Fair it's fairly accurate.
There's nothing there that's not overpriced. Nope. Nothing. Some things have gotten better like the new Green Line DART rail. But when you park there it's $10 followed by probably a mile walk to the gate. After that it's $15 a person unless you brought an old can or some other deal to get in. If you didn't you just spent $25 (if it's just you...which is never the case) to get fleeced by all manner of vendor.
The food is over-hyped at best, and way too expensive. The drinks are tepid and expensive. The rides look like they have bolts popping off and are expensive. And getting water to keep from passing out feels like price gouging for the last gallon after a natural disaster.
Did I mention it was expensive?
If I need a Fair Park fix, I'll wait until March and hit the Irish Festival.
This year's visit was a little sour for me. I went on a day that I wasn't originally planning to go, I was tired from work, and got rained on. Wonderful.
Of course the first thing I do when I get here is buy an over priced cup of beer hoping to get me in a more cheerful mood, but it didn't. 10 tickets down the drain. I found out that the cheap beer is in the Food Court, head there.
The next obligatory item on the to-do list was to get a Fletcher's Corny Dog which was very saturated with frying oil. Half way finishing the sucker I wanted to chunk it, but I kept eating it. I'm not even sure why I finished it.
In the food court, I opted for some Nachos with Texas shaped tortilla chips and I was disappointed. The chips were friggin stale. I'm glad the lady gave me plenty of that yellow stuff that was supposed to be cheese.
For dessert on this wet visit, I opted for some Deep Fried Oreos. After eating one scalding hot DFO, I was grossed out by the oil puddle that was in my basket. Barf. I guess I forgot that I didn't like'em last year.
However, one thing that did cheer me up was a ride on that Techno Spinner deal. I'm a sucker for carnival rides. :-)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/8/2008
So for my 1st visit of the 2008 season it wasn't too bad...
Spicy Corny Dog - Awesome
Regular Corny… Read more »
Yesterday marked the anniversary of the day I graced the world with my presence, egotistically speaking. Memories of going to the State Fair every year around this time made me, well, a little homesick.
There is something for everyone. If you're into stomach-jolting rides, funnel cake (raises hand ecstatically), college football, or just people-watching; certainly, this is an event you wouldn't want to miss.
Save your cash and make sure to get enough rest to prepare for your visit to see Big Tex. He is essentially the epitome of the state, with his warm, inviting smile and his large stature.
Celebrities, locals, kids, parents, and (of course) out-of-towners all drop in around this time of the year for fun. Every year they improve some aspect of the fair, so I think its popularity is definitely on the rise.
Some like the new deep-fried creation sensations! Others like the classic experience of eating fresh cotton-candy and sitting on the ferris wheel with the one they love. I love the Prairie View vs. Grambling half-time show, where the bands go at it in the traditional fashion. Why not visit and see what you love about the State Fair of Texas?
After going annually for almost 20 years straight, I had to skip last year because of my geographic location. That made this year's trip extra special.
Forget the rides, come for the food. We usually average about $40 per person. Fletcher's corndogs are the best in the world, handsdown. I've never found them anywhere else but the fair. Then you have nachos, pizza, funnel cake, sausage, and all the fried food you can think of snickers/cookie dough/bacon etc. Soda and beer are pricey, so I always recommend root beer since it's always about 2-3 tickets less than a soda.
The car showcase is always fun because you can see upcoming models and sit in cars that you could never afford or even consider buying. Then you have the pig races, dog show, bird show, livestock show, Marine bugle corps, cooking demos, live music, light/laser show, and everything else you can imagine.
I like going TX/OU weekend since I usually go to the game, but it's usually one of the busiest Saturdays. Either way, everyone living the great state of Texas should visit the fair at least once in their lifetime.
I LOVE the Fair. I literally run from ride to ride and this year was no exception. But I have to say I was a little disappointed in the ride choices at the Fair. Sure the Crazy Mouse, Swings and Waverunner rocked. Oh and the "Fly through the sky with nothing but a harness on" was way cool! (Albeit, expensive as you had to pay $27.00 a person to ride it.) But there wasn't a whole lot more to get too excited about. So after we tried a few more rides that really didn't do it for us, we decided it was time to hit the food court.
We tried a few of the "Award Winners" for food:
Stuffed Wings on a stick- not good and not boneless.
Sweet Jalapeno Corn Dog Shrimp- pretty good.
Cuban Potato Cakeball- Very good.
However, we ended up going back to the old tried and true fair food:
A Cheeseburger and a Chicken Tender Basket
All in all it was a very fun night. However I'm glad we only paid $3.00 to get in and half price for rides.
Here is a breakdown of Fair Specials:
Tuesday- $3 admission with an empty Dr. Pepper can and 5 coupon rides excect for the "thrill rides" (normally they are b/t 4-13 coupons a piece.)
Wednesday-$1 admission w/ 3 cans of food but regular ride prices
Thursday- $4 admission with an empty 20oz bottle of Coke product OR free admission with a Cinamark Movie stub
Enjoy and Happy Fairing!
Sugar Bear and I go to the fair every couple of years. This year was not as fun as usual. The weather was in the 50's and misting, it was crowded as hell (more so than normal) and our friends were not very thrilled with their 'fair' experience.
I always enjoy the shows. This year we attended the bird show, the Drum and Bugle Corp. performance, and heard the bagpipers play. I missed the dog show which is my favorite every time I attend the fair. We tried to get into the pig races, but it was full and the doors were closed...that is a first for the fair! I've never seen folks turned away from shows before.
We went to the Discover Garden, the women's Museum and the Science Museum. The car show is also a MUST every time we go to the fair. We wandered through the rooster and hen display...that was really interesting. I had no idea there were so many different varieties! The 'Buy Texan' area was also entertaining to this locavore. Jalapeno Creamed Honey made in McKinney? Hell yeah!
Sugar Bear had a list of fried foods to dine on at the fair, but the lines for the new fried foods were hella long and we didn't want to wait. He got his favorite, the fried olives, and found a new love for future years, the fried moon-pie (which he enjoyed with hot chocolate...sugar overload!). We both had a corndog, but mine was the jalapeno variety. It was AWESOME!! Sugar Bear also managed to find the most disgusting thing at the fair to try...the chili dog pot pie. It was chili, cheese, and cut up hotdogs with puff pastry. NASTAAAAAYYYY! He loved it!
As I get older, my delight in the fair fades. I grow weary of spending $100+ dollars on crappy food, parking, and what-nots (like salt water taffy). The crowds work my nerves and I have to question if it is really worth it. I'm sure I won't be back for the next year or two, but then we will be ready to check it out again. Eventually, we will be sucked into the lure of the fair again.
So maybe I am dorky and at 31 I have learned to finally embrace this about myself, what the heck. I am here to admit that I really enjoyed the Texas State Fair! First of the weather was perfect, well, almost perfect. And the food? A smash hit if I do say so myself. I especially liked the ethnic booths and really enjoyed eating some fried bananas at Taste of Cuba.
I know what your thinking, why didn't I go for the fried butter? Well, quite frankly I wasn't going to wait 45minutes in line, I had more important things to do like checking out the amazing bird show! it was exhilarating to say the least and the I guess I am a softy also because I seriously felt inspired to make a slight donation.
Another nice thing about the fair was the super duper cute guy giving a vita-mix demonstration. He was so darn cute I almost bought one on the spot, sold!
There are numerous kooky sculptures for those seeking an impromptu photo opt - super fun!
All in all the fair turned out to have more pros than cons for me so check it out people, just don't go on the day that Oprah is supposed to make an appearance cuz that's gonna be intense!
I wish I had another set of hands so I could give this fair 4 thumbs down. No, I take that back, 4 middle fingers up.
After I saw this fair on TV with all of the fried food delight, I just had to go. What I did not see was the absolute wallet rape that goes on here. I just cannot imagine why anyone would ignore this or the fact that you have to spend so much money to have any kind of fun. (eg. The smallest ride being $4 a person with some of the larger ones going for $6 a person. )
I would say for the most part, at least half of the fair was a Chevy / Ford commercial. This is the best than you can do? $10 for parking, $30 for a couple to get in, corporate sponsorship and you still charge this much for everything else?? What a rip-off... Please take note that almost everyone that speaks highly of this fair references the fact that they spent over $100.
Fried Oreos... great. $5 BUCKS for FOUR Oreos?!?!? yeah. loads of fun for the whole family. Just like a family I observed getting onto the giant ferris wheel. 4 children, 2 adults, $36.00.
Instead of talking, the Big Tex statue should be laughing and urinating on the crowd while money flows out of his pockets. I believe that would be in the true and full spirit of this fair.
My suggestion? Skip it and go to 6 Flags.
Yeah, sorry. I just went today to the fair. And i was reluctant to go because I remember hating it when I went last as a teenager.
It's just not me I guess. Sweaty and expensive partaking in things that I don't really like, mainly, fried food.
I didn't see any exhibits but maybe that's my fault. I don't even know why this "fair" exists. It's basically a carnival right? hm. $6 ferris wheel ride. Ok. I guess so, but not for a $15 cover charge. Ouch.
The car show wasn't redemptive enough.
Where to begin...
This marks my third and hopefully last visit to the State Fair of Texas. My job brings me down to Dallas each year for around three weeks, so this review isn't based on one bad day I had. If I had to pick three words to describe this experience they would be: fried, loud, and Texas. Having come from the Midwest I have certainly eaten and enjoyed my fair share of fried and deep fried foods, but the State Fair takes it to a whole new level with fried-PP&J, alligator, snickers, lattes, peaches and cream, and this year's official "Fair Food" deep fried butter. Like I said even coming from a part of the country that's all about frying everything you possibly can I almost get sick thinking about all the fair food here. Prices are horrendous too, but that should go without saying at any event like this.
Loud. I think that's pretty self explanatory and goes hand in hand with my third word to describe the State Fair, Texas. The fair seems to take every stereotype of Texas and Texans and crush them into a small space for a couple weeks. The fair itself is fairly, no pun intended :P, big so there's plenty of different sights to see. That being said it's so crowded I try not to walk around too much. There are plenty of interesting arts and crafts booths and even a wine tasting area, although my job brings me here so I can't drink any :( The ferris wheel is even the biggest in the western hemisphere if I remember correctly.
So after all of my negativity I must admit that the State Fair of Texas is actually very well done with plenty of sights to see and interesting foods to eat. It's just not my cup o' tea. If YOU however are into fried foods and loud and overly proud Texans then this is the place for you.
I FREAKING LOVE THE FAIR!!!!! I seriously turn into a 5year old every year at Fair time, anxious to ride rides, eat bad food and play games to win prizes not nearly a fraction of the worth for what you paid to win them. Sign me up! This year's Fair was a feeding frenzy, the BF and I did-it-up. Here are some things to know for 2009:
THE GOOD:
Green goblins- cherry peppers stuffed with chicken , cheese, and guac, deep fried and covered in queso. Very tasty- like real food. (near the crazy mouse ride and huge slide).
Fernie's Fried Peaches and cream- soooo yummy. The line is super long but worth it. The batter these are fried with is light and crunchy. (if you are facing Big Tex- these are to the right, by the fried alligator and Old Mill Inn)
Fletcher's Corn dogs- obviously
Fried PB&J w. bananas- Elvis was a smart man ( by the MJ fun house)
The Ferris Wheel- at night the lights and view are just beautiful
Petting Zoo- smelly fun your inner child will love- baby goats were so cute!
Illusions ride- This is actually pretty decent- as far as the non-spinning rides go!
THE BAD:
Fried pecan pie- nothing special. regular pecan pie is better ( near the petting zoo)
The Haunted House ride- totally lame- and I hate Haunted Houses
The Games on the Midway- what a freaking rip off. But I will still play them every year
THE UGLY:
Fried pickles in the Food pavilion- WAY too salty, soggy..blech
The Michael Jackson Fun house- this is blasphemy for the King of Pop. The inside has NOTHING to do with MJ and it was 8 tickets!!! So stupid. RIP man in the mirror.
I gained 5 pounds, spent over $100, and loved every minute.
it's so FRIED!
Of course there are the sketchy games and weird rides (but the ferris wheel is awesome!) but there is everything you could possibly imagine to eat... and then 50% of it is fried! and it's all AMAZING!
the shopping was a bit disappointing, but... Fried Butter!!!
I would definitely recommend not eating before heading to the fair...
Welp, I finally made my triumphant return to the Sate Fair of Texas! And it was exactly how I left it, crowded, dirty, delicous smell overload, a bit pricey, and full of that good ole fashion, creepy carnie vibes. But hey....that's the Fair!
The main thing that I like about the Fair, is the feeling of history and knowing that the Texas Fair, is known throughout the country as the grand daddy of them all, #1. People have been doing what we did yesterday for FOREVER, i love that.
First thing's first when you get to the Fair....Fletchers Corndog. LeighF loved hers, but mine was lacking something this year, and maybe i just got a bad one, but the batter lacked it's faint sweetness, and the texture was different this year. Oh well, moving on, plenty of eating in my future. Our first fried stop, was the fried strawberry dipped in chocolate and sweet jalapeno corbreaded shrimp. Thumbs up strawberry, FAIL Shrimpy McShrimperstein. As we meandered through the crowd of slow walking morons, we hit up several more tasty treats of the midway. I tried to pick out a clear winner, but i couldn't do it. SO, tied for first place, was, the fried peanut butter jelly and banana sandwich, and the fried Texas pecan pie. Oh baby, if I could eat those every day....well......I would be dead.....but with a smile on my face! Also, I can't leave out my staple, that I just have to get every year, the Tornado Taters. They were a perfect salty treat for sitting down and catching the end of Cowboys first half, in the "sports tent". Sheesh, i thought watching a bad game with my die hard Cowboy buddies was bad.....please, get out there in the general public and watch it, KRIKEY!
The Auto Show was same ole same ole, lots of cool hybrids this year. Apparently the Dog Show has strict rules, and you cannot enter once it has begun, they should tell you that before you show up at 3:04, and are turned away. Like it's gonna throw Fluffy off of her highly challenging, run through the tube trick, FAIL. We caught a Killdares show, on the steps of the Cotton Bowl, that was pretty badass. It was short and sweet, but we got just enough Irish rock, to get us through the rest of the day.
We hit up the Midway, and this was new to me, the gondala that goes up and over the games and stuff. That seemed pretty cool......if you're lame. I don't know if they train the guys that run the games, or what, but they are hysterical. They make you feel like Marty McFly, and you just can't fight the urge, once they call you yella. But I refrained, i didn't feel like messing with the game cards and all of that crap, what happened to the old days, where you payed cold hard cash to toss a carnie's balls around?!??! Huh? HUH?!!?!?
Anyway, with cold brews and the best people watching that you could ever hope to find, all in all, it was a great trip to the Fair. You take the good, you take the bad, The Facts of the Fair.
My stomach has not fully recovered yet. You've been warned....
We came. We saw. We clogged our arteries.
A small group of friends and I make it a point to get together and hit the fair during the fall. We're trying to make it a yearly ritual, so we scheduled the weekend and all prepared for greasy goodness and a little time outside. Unfortunately, I wasn't as impressed this year for some reason. Maybe it was the gloomy weather or the fact that people seemed to be in less than stellar moods (i.e., let's use our stroller as a battering ram!), but the same magic just was not there for me.
Sadly, most of the exhibits and whatnot were plain ol' repeats from last year, so I didn't find any of those exciting. I did enjoy some of the shows, though. Watching the African Acrobats was a blast and the Carribean Dive Show was amusing if nothing else for the fact that these poor people had to dive into and crawl out of water on a chilly day. Honestly, I really go for the food more than anything anyway :)
Speaking of food, our number one goal upon entrance was to attack the corn dog stand. Fletcher's has a nice big stand set up right off the circle and is overlooked by Big Tex himself. The workers here are quick, so don't be scared if the line looks long - it'll move way faster than you anticipate. I grabbed my corn dog, slathered on some mustard, & dug in with delight. Mine happened to be hot and fresh and not completely dripping with oil, so yay for that. Between that and my bottle water, I'd say it was $7 decently spent. A friend tried the jalapeno dog, which he said was good. The basic difference there (besides the 2 extra tickets you pay) was the jalapeno and cheese worked into the hot dog & breading. I split a Green Gobbling with a friend, but was disappointed given the price. Its supposed to be cherry peppers stuffed with spicy shredded chicken, guacamole, fried and then covered with queso. The chicken was basically nonexistant, but the guacamole was decent. They skimped on the queso a bit, too. Note to self: forgo this one next time. I stole a taste of a friend's fried turkey leg, which was delicious. I could never justify the 16 tickets to get one for just myself, but I'd gladly share it with someone next time around. Ah, but we still had dessert to try. I went with a friend smore and sampled a friend's fried moon pie, both of which I highly recommend. The smore comes drizzled with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar and the cracker and marshmellow melt in your mouth *drool*. This will probably become another staple in my fair food addiction. I'm not a fan of moonpies in general, but the fried version was pretty decent. The slight banana flavor combined with the batter worked somehow. Fortunately, none of the food lines I waited in were very long. Then again, we weren't after this year's big winners either.
And, of course, the ferris wheel is a must. Even on the sub-par weather day that we attended, we could still see across Dallas proper and around the city.
I'm thrilled that there is DART access to Fair Park this year. That improved the commute and cut down on parking issues big time. Yea, it was a little crowded by the time we got to the park, but it was still worth it given the cheap price of a one day ticket! And, once we were ready to go, the ride home was a breeze and we didn't have to worry about traffic or falling asleep on the way back. I'll use this again next year for sure.
So it wasn't a day wasted by any means. We all had a good time, got to see some shows, and had some greasy food to boot. Just be prepared to drop a lot of money on the entrance ticket, some cheesy rides and fattenting food. As long as you know that is the plan upon arrival, your day will be much more enjoyable overall.
I decided to make a trip to the Fair on a weekday, thinking it'd be less crowded than the usual weekend extravaganza. Well only by a small margin but then 10% less is still less. Still it was good timing, a cool cloudy day with a breeze and since it was Thursday a Cinemark ticket stub was worth 1 admission. And this time it didn't seem to have the characteristic odor of manure and unbathed fatties.
As others have pointed out, on Yelp or elsewhere, the reason you go to the Fair is to eat. The other stuff is just that, other stuff. I've seen the auto shows before (Honda was a no show at this one, makes you wonder ...), not interested in the souvenir shops or petting zoos, shamwow looks like it does on the commercials - so whatever. First off was the Fried Grilled Cheese and this does live up to the hype, a little crunchy fried cheeeezy goodness there.
And here's a word to the wise: for those who want to get a decent bite for not many tickets, get a bbq slider or 2 in the same area as the FGC. 3 tickets each for a generous amount of meat in a roll. A little on the greasy side but its the State Fair, cmon. I didn't know what I'd have next since I was unable to find the fried guacamole bites and that was quite a royal suck. Then I saw a little sign that said "fried cheese curds". Hmm really? Well since I just ran into an old neighbor and he had a little of the munchies too we went halves on that order. Yeah you can keep your fried butter, bacon, and coke thank you. But I did have to have dessert and I almost ordered the fried banana pudding until I saw someone else's and they looked rather disappoined at the lack of filling. It was like looking at a fried pie with anorexia .... so I went straight to the main item of interest, the peanut butter cup macaroon. Wow, a little more batter than it needed but everything really came together well. Could've use a little more coconut you cheapass bastards but still, one more reason not to mourn the absence of a corndog.
And sure enough, there is still a fried chicken vendor that also sells livers n gizzards. Welcome to Texas.
So why only 2 stars? Because I asked myself this question - would I have a real reason to go back in the future, even if the entire excursion was on someone else's dime. Honestly, no. I've had enough fried food and I don't need to experience creations like these repeatedly. Now I can say I had that, I been there. Buh bye.
Ahhhh, the State Fair. It brings back so many fond memories of the good old times with the family. We went on the last day of the fair because the weather was actually pleasant. This year the eight of us went. Three adults and five kids. The main reason we go is for the food. We went for the tried and true fare as well as an item on the 2009 Big Tex Choice Award finalist list. I wanted to try more finalists but it was a bit hard to find some of them - even with a map. The lines were long and my feet were hurting.
The tried and true were turkey legs, funnel cake, roasted corn, hot dogs, and candied apple. My favorite this year was the roasted corn. The corn is dipped in butter and then I added cajun seasoning, garlic pepper, cayenne pepper and dug in. Oh boy, it was so good I had to get another before I left the fair. It was piping hot and the kernals were oh so sweet. The turkey leg was a big disappointment this year. Normally it's the one thing I look forward to every year. The turkey leg was salty, greasy and the skin was too hard to chew. Such a let down. I usually eat it with some mustard but they are getting very stingy with the condiments this year. They only gave us three packets and I had to use some of it on the hot dog for the kids. The candied apple was too hard to bite into. We had to wrap it up and take it home. That way, we could get a nice, sharp knife to split it. The candy was still pretty hard and no one liked it. Argh! Another let down. The funnel cake saved the day on my tried and true favorites. We got the original... just funnel cake with some powdered sugar on top. The line was long but the wait was worth it. The funnel cake didn't last 5 minutes in my hands. Hot, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and totally sweet. Delish!
The award finalist we tried was the deep fried butter. We tried the garlic flavor and the cherry flavor. The family agreed that the garlic flavor was the best. Many have said that it tastes like a buttery biscuit. When you bite into it the butter just oozes on out. It was okay but it did not live up to the hype.
A couple of new items this year. The twisted tater and the fried peanut butter jelly and banana sandwich. The twisted tater was great with cayenne pepper and some cajun seasoning. It got cold very quickly and didn't taste as good towards the end. It got soggy and limp and just wasn't the same when you first bite into it. The PBJ & Banana was not a finalist but my friends raved about it so I had to try it. It was very crispy on the outside because it was battered and then fried. I did not get much banana on my slice so I just tasted the sweet peanut butter and jelly. I prefer PB&J the normal way - unbattered and unfried. Some things are better left alone.
Next year, my mission is to taste Fernies Deep Fried Peaches and Cream. Next year, my friends. Next year!
Tip: I brought my own water and drinks for the kiddos. If you didn't know this already, you can bring your own food and drinks to the fair. I go for the food. I don't like spending money on drinks. Also, if you have kids, wear a backpack. Those expensive but cheaply-made stuffed animals are a handful.
Only counting the fair itself and not the TX-OU game, if you like being herded around like cattle while waiting in endless lines for coupons which in turn takes you to the never-ending lines for food. I literally waited 30 minutes to buy food coupons and then 45 minutes to buy one order of deep fried pb&j&banana sandwich. They also had deep fried butter this year but wtf.. my heart just convulsed a little bit upon typing that. The only reason I go to the State Fair is to attend the TX-OU game. i can't imagine anyone actually paying $15 to go in to be royally raped by the food and entertainment prices. Lets not forget the 1 hour wait to get onto the DART rail back home.. gotta look on the bright side.. at least it wasn't raining all over sewer sludge treated dirt ala ACL?
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/20/2006
Consuming 5000 calories and 200 grams of fat in one day while watching TX own OU.. how can this be… Read more »
Alright so this Yankee finally got her butt over to the State Fair of Texas. I was given a grand tour by a Texan and we started out with a Fletcher's corny dog. It was somewhat tasty but weird and overfried too. We ended up watching the dog dancing show, going thru three marketplaces and enjoying a smoked turkey leg, a potato fried plate of goodness and to top it all off some ass kickin bumper cars. (Which I rocked even w/o my glasses!) I might go again next year but we'll see.
Everything imaginable fried! It can get very pricey though! Two people cost close to100 bucks
Last year was my first visit to the State Fair since I took the official Texas holiday, Fair Day, and went back in junior high, and to be honest it was a pretty poor experience. The wife and I weren't expecting to go this year until some friends invited us to go on opening day...their reason...it's all new and clean. Never thought of it, but it completely made sense. The fryer grease is fresh and not black, it's the carnies first day so they're not tired and pissed off on the third week, and the restrooms are relatively clean.
We went with three and a half hours to closing and got everything in that each of us wanted to do, see and eat. We started with the truck show outside the show halls. The exhibit hall was something to pass...it was a bunch of useless stuff being sold by the traveling salesmen. Unless you are in the market for the above ground spa, an impromptu teeth whitening or cedar furniture on the "fair special" you can feel okay passing on the exhibit hall. Some rode the carnival rides, which never had a line.
For the real reason why we all go to the state fair...the latest and greatest form of clogging your arteries and putting that fat and happy grin on your face...the fried food. I was feeling quite well until my wife listed everything that I had...Fried corn dog, Fried grilled cheese, Fried onions, Fried butter, ice cold beer and a push pop just because. After hearing that list I started to feel a small pain in my side. The fried grilled cheese is something to pass on, no flavor, but a thoughtful dish with Campbell's tomato soup as a dipping sauce with a side of French's potato sticks. As for the corn dog...it's a Texas original and hard to beat and a must when going to the fair. Finally the fried butter was not what I was expecting. It was actually really good and tasted like a buttered roll you'd get at a home cooking restaurant. I opted for the original, because the jelly flavored ones did not appeal to me.
Driving to the fair was easy. We took MLK straight through the front gate and paid $10 to park. There is valet for $25. This year there is the Green Line on the DART rail that will drop you off about 100 yards from the front gate on MLK. It may not be a bad idea if you're headed to the fair during the day.
The fair was a success and a lot of fun. Just in case you have the desire to win a 4 foot stuffed banana or a $100 bill king sized pillow to carry around the fair, this year on the midway, in order to play any games you have to purchase a card which the carnies scan, so no more tickets or cash. So bring $20 bills, get the fried butter and don't feel bad about, and get the fried peaches and cream. It was something we passed on but we over heard others rave about it.
2009 was my first visit since high school as I am not a fan of anything at the fair. I did notice that the seedy carnies working the midway have been replaced by uniformed, well groomed workers who almost border on quaint. The food seems to get more repulsive each year 2006 brought us fried coke, 2008 was chicken fried bacon, and alas the '09 gluttony du jour was deep fried butter. Fair food was never intended to be anything fancy, but these days it seems like each year is an attempt to out do the last. My one and only indulgence was one of the more traditional fair foods, funnel cake. I went on the evening before the Texas/OU game and the crowds were manageable. There are various livestock exhibits and a petting zoo for the little ones. Great place to do people watching (women who wear stilettos, over zealous moms shoving their kids to the animals at the petting zoo). The fair can be expensive, but how much one spends is voluntary. There is a small car show, that is nothing special. There didn't seem to be as many merchandise vendors as in the past. Most of the ones there now are much more down to earth, and you don't feel like you been sucked into some frantic infomercial. Definite kudos for the improvements. I really only went because I had a free ticket, but I doubt I would pay $15 to go walk around. I only spotted one real side show act, something to do with the "worlds smallest horse". Didn't bother with it as it seemed to be a pretty obvious smoke and mirrors set up.
Is it October yet??? I usually have to starve myself for weeks before we hit up the fair each year..Everything is just too tempting..
This place is glutton heaven! Every fried food imaginable! This place is undeniably Texan. Loves it!
To avoid parking and driving headaches, we usually hope on the DART rail to downtown and then there is a dedicated DART bus that shuttles to the fair...
It can get expensive as everything is so tempting and u must purchase tickets..I just don't understand how we always end up w/ 1-2 useless tickets :)
Fried Bacon, Funnel Cakes, Turkey legs, Sausage on a stick, hot buttery corn on the cob...man its just all so good and fattening!
They say we're in an economic downturn, recession, and/or depression? You wouldn't know it by the Texas State Fair, where everybody and their mom was spending money by the boat load on entrance, food, and games. There were lines at the entrance, lines at food vendors, lines at the midway games, and of course long lines at the ladies restrooms!
This being our first Texas State Fair (we just moved to Texas this summer), the hubster and I had a long list of things to do... most of them involving food. :) Fried banana split? Check! Fried grilled cheese? Check! Fried snickers? Check! Fried cheesecake? Check! Notice a delicious, fried trend here? Unfortunately, the fair closed before we tried the corny dogs, fried queso bites, fried oreos, fried twinkies, and funnel cake.
Oh, we also did other things at the fair too like play the games, check out the butter sculpture, watch the pig races, check out the light show, go to the petting zoo, check out various performances, and take a picture with Big Tex.
The hubster is already looking forward to next year's batch of culinary specialties... deep friend ones, of course!
Ahhhh, the State Fair! Bought my fair pass at Kroger's on Friday and hopped on Dart Saturday afternoon for my first visit to the much anticipated State Fair. I don't ride the train much but I figured why not save myself the 10-20 dollars I usually spend parking in someone's yard and the walk to the Fair entrance and then use that money for more fair fun. The trains ran often and since the green line is new the train is brand-spanking new too. In all the cities I've lived in and visited this was the cleanest train I've ever seen (it had that new car smell too) and people were really friendly and happy (heck, they were all on their way to the fair, too.) First stop once I got into the fairgrounds was the only corn dog stand to buy from and that's Fletcher's just under Big Tex. Corndog and a lemonade, mmm mmm! I did not stand in line there which was really weird. I don't think I've ever seen that stand without at least 10 or 15 people standing in line, if not more. From there I just made the loop. I like to go for the first time every year with no agenda. I will return several times in the next three weeks for specific events. One show I never miss every time I go to the fair is The Spirit of the Horse which happens in the small outdoor corral across from the huge pig that can't stand up that everyone likes to gawk at. Robert Liner is an amazing man and an even more amazing horse trainer. Trust me, even if you've never ridden a horse, even if you don't like horses, you will love this guy's hour long demonstration. I always hear something that I can apply to my daily life. My next stop is usually the petting zoo and then I got a funnel cake at the stand inside the building where they have the pig races. For some reason I like their funnel cakes the best. I then moseyed through the centennial building (I like to look at the kitchsy cases with the homemade afghans and needlepoint and the amazing prize-winning "collections" like the blue-ribbon winner I saw for Mason Jars. Also check out all the canned goods on the opposite side wall. I keep thinking we should enter my 94 year old grandmother's pickles sometime. The butter sculpture is always a fan favorite and this year, although it isn't finished yet looks to be good. I think it's an old fashioned shoot-out over a card game circa 1852. The beer garden joint next to the big stage just up from the centennial building is always a good spot for a cold one and a great place to arrange for meeting friends. They have tables to sit at and good food. My last stop for the day was at the corn on the cob booth. I slathered it up with all the fixins and made my way to the gate to catch the train. Next time, rides, games, and maybe the fried butter.
pretty fun for kids and adults alike.. there's nothing like eating a fletcher's corn dog and other fried foods at the state fair.. if you're in texas.. you shouldn't miss this tradition
Okay, how can you NOT like the State Fair? I think the only person I know who doesn't like it is my aunt, who shops at Barneys and defines fun as maxing out your credit card in a single day. It's pretty easy to spend a small fortune at the Fair, but you'll leave with cardiac problems instead of shopping bags.
Whether you're stuffing your face with Fletcher's corny dogs or puking them up near the exit of a midway ride, the State Fair is down-home, old-fashioned fun. It's a great way to relive your childhood (if you were raised going to the Fair every year like I was) or to experience a childhood you missed (if you were unfortunate enough to have not been born in Dallas). You'll see leather-wearing bikers toting around big pink bears like they've just won a heavyweight title by tossing a ring onto a bottle. How can you not love a place that has that sort of effect on people?
I have to say that the animal shows have been downgraded in recent years, and they aren't as fun or interesting as they once were. (Whoever the hell decided that the frisbee dogs should be replaced with "dancing dogs" should start taking their meds again.) Also, the midway games now require the purchase of a pre-loaded game card, which is total crap. But those two complaints are really minor in the grand scheme of things. Seriously, at the very least, just sit somewhere in the shade with a big pile of fried delicacies (I highly recommend the cheesecake), forget about the hectic pace of everyday life, and enjoy the bikers with pink teddy bears.
I'm from Vermont. When I was in middle-school, circa 1992, I used to go to the Champlain Valley fair. We had a midway and a demolition derby and fingerlickin' fried dough which I'd douse with locally-made maple syrup and confectioner's sugar. Those were the halcyon days of my carefree youth...
...and the State Fair of Texas blew it out of the water.
Seriously. I had more fun on Sunday then I did when I was 12. And I don't know how that's possible.
It was my last day in Dallas, so Taryn and I got up early (let's face it, we slept about 6 hours the whole weekend) and got our asses to the fair by noon. We started off slowly...played a few carnival games...had a few beers.
I had these deep-fried sliced olive/jalapeno cheese popper things that were VERY, VERY good. Once we had a sufficient buzz on, I led her over to the bungee section.
"Rope or Ball, Taryn?"
To our left a trio of thrill-seekers were being hoisted 80 feet into the air. They hung in stasis for a couple heavy moments before one of them ripped a cord and then they flew in a beautiful rainbow parabola over the fairgrounds.
To our right a couple of (soon-to-be) cosmonauts strapped into a spherical cage. Their eyes pointed up into sunshine and marshmallow clouds. 30 foot stacks of heavy-gauge coils kept them on the ground until........................thwap................ they were airborne, churning vertical with violent speed. Because the cage was lined with microphones we could hear their screams for the duration of the ride.
We went with the ball!
Seriously, I don't know when it ends, but make sure you hit this fair up if you're in Dallas.
We met some awesome people: hats off to the Australian cowboy hat salesman, the South African carnies, and Violet...the cutest little four year old in the world.
We went on some awesome rides: don't miss the one that throws you around and tickles your tummy like a feather from a Roman vomitorium.
And we had some great food: jalapeno corn dogs are yummy.
nuff said...
I moved to Chicago last year, but I came back home again just for the fair!
Chitown has their own ferris wheel, but compared to the Texas Star it's a piece of crap. If you plan on going next year (2009), be sure to save up money for at least a few weeks before hand. I had $100 saved and blew through about $70 like it was nothing, mainly because everything costs at least a few tickets and if you don't have any tickets, then you can't do jacksh*t.
Even then it's all so worth it when you sit down to eat your funnel cake/fried bacon/fried ice cream/fried oreos/etc.
There is a reason why it's the largest state fair in the country!
:)
P.S- I would also recommend starting a exercise regime prior to any vists you decide to make to the fair. That way when you're eating a fried (insert food here) that's double your caloric intake, you won't keel over and die.
Best case scenario in that situation, you gain 50 lbs and move to Houston.
I have been told on several occasions that I am THE person to go to the fair with. I go every opening day to learn re-learn the ropes find the new fried food and have the first corny dog of the season. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fair. So I took off Friday afternoon and went.
I was very sadly, for the first time, disappointed. I went over to the Coca-Cola food court to get my beverage on for 6 coupons instead of 12 (yes that's right folks you don't have to pay 9-13 coupons for a beer) and headed back out to the large Fletcher's stand. My first corny dog is always the original so, I got my original corny dog. It was DRY and almost burned. I couldn't even finish it :( that bad. I had high hopes that the chicken fried bacon would put my calories back in line. UM ,too much chicken fried not enough bacon, for 10 coupons, that's $5 dude. I was starting to think the 4 hours of vacation time wasn't worth it..
I spotted the wine tent and had a good ol' time tasting wine and talkin to the wine folks. Then decided I needed to get one of those Fried Grilled Cheese samiches I kept seeing people eating. Apparently everybody got a crappy 'cone dog' that day because the line was hella long and I gave up (I'm going back.. I'll get one then.) and went into the Embacardero building and, guess what ,they opened a little State Fair mini Cantina- so Mom and I got our Tamale on. I even spent 10 coupons on a Warsteiner instead of hoofing it back to the Coca Cola Food court for my 6 coupon beer. Great Tamales, for 6 coupons we got 3 tamales with chili on top.
Our last stop was back in the Food Court we were on a hunt for Fried Cake (which I never found) and decided on the Fried Green Beans. This was the saving grace of the day. They were fresh green beans and were lightly breaded, crunchy fresh on the inside and along with the dipping sauce (I think it was ranch) kinda tasted like green bean casserole without the casserole. Great Stuff.
I'll update the fair as the month progresses, but for a first day they definitely were not on their game. I almost went down to 2 stars.. but I'm hoping it was just first day jitters... **SIDE NOTE: I feel so guilty giving my beloved the not so stellar review, I feel our yearly affair has been tainted in some way**
Tracey W, Jenn C and her DF and I went back Tuesday night to the fair and did the entire Food Fair in under 2 1/2 hours. We started with a plan and remembering where everything was we just went from one food booth to another. One of the best things I learned on my 1st trip this year was to bring a plastic knife to make sharing the fried food items easier. Those knives came in so handy on this trip.
We parked at Gate 2 and walked in. This is my favorite place to park as it's not a far walk to the actual fair. Just inside the Gate 2 entrance we bought coupons and headed straight to the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Waffle Balls (10 for 2 strawberries). Tonight, I fell in love. The small bite that I had had the day before was not enough to decipher the pure deliciousness that was a fried Chocolate Covered Strawberry. I also bought a REAL Lemonade at the stand across from the Waffle Balls (8).
Next we walked across to the Auto Building where we walked straight to the Fried Banana Splits (6 for a small, 17 for a large). These were weird. It was like a fried Peanut Butter & Banana topped with Banana Split flavored Dippin' Dots.
Then it was on to Fletchers and the Sausage On A Stick place over to the right of Fletchers ... T, M & J had their corny dogs.. and I had my spicy SOAS. This particular SOAS was a lot better than the one I had Monday over by the Waffle Balls.
After the corn dogs and sausages, we walked across the circle to the stand behind where the Alligator was being served. This my friends, is where you need to try the Fried Grilled Cheese (6). Um, I don't even like grilled cheese and this was so freaking good. I also got a BBQ Slider that was pretty darn good too (3).
See, I told you we were doing nothing but food. Next up? The Food Court. I got a bowl of Blackeyed Pea soup (6), T got fried green tomatoes (6) and J&M got the BBQ Eggrolls (10). Also, if you are following this route, this is a good time to grab a Milk (3) before you head down the midway where all the fried sweet stuff is.
After the Food Court we made a beeline down the Midway to the stand where the Fried Snowballs (10), Fried Pralines (8) and Fried Snickers (8) were. We found a table in the little courtyard catty-corner from the stand and sat down to enjoy our fried diabetic comas. This, my friends, is where the plastic knives came in handy... as we cut each of the 3 items in 4 pieces so that we all got to try a bite or two.
After the sugar high, we headed to the other side of the Cotton Bowl. I'm not quite sure how we passed the Fried Chocolate Truffles, but we realized it after walking thru the Borden Building (and after trying a bite of Jenn's Fried Smores). We went back for truffles. Jenn took one bite and said... that needs milk. HUH? You don't drink milk. Yeah, it was that good and sweet and gooey melty chocolate.
We finished off our stroll thru the Embarcadero building and then another glass of real lemonade (at the corn stand) on our way back out to the car.
This is how you do the Fair in under 2 1/2 hours. Although, my co-worker who returned to the fair yesterday... tells me that we missed the Fried Nutter Butters. DARN.
Summary:
Great - Waffle Balls, Grilled Cheese, Fried Pralines and Chocolate Truffles
Not So Great - Bacon, F. Banana Split
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
10/1/2008
2008 Sate Fair of Texas. I've been twice this year. My office went on Monday and then I went… Read more »
October is not my favorite time of the year. Each year, sometime early in the month, I know that my friend Marna will call and beg...no, plead...with me to play hooky from a weekday afternoon at work so she'll have some girl company during her annual mecca to the State Fair of Texas.
Her marketing ploy seldom changes. "Lexie, you never know, you might meet someone interesting," she'll say, with a heavy emphasis on the word "interesting."
Excuse me? Meet someone interesting at the State Fair? "Interesting" as in that guy with the seven month maternity gut who is swooning over the prize Heifer in the livestock exhibit? Or maybe Mr. Metallica Tee, with the less-than-desirable hygiene, who is the Skee-Ball Master of the Universe on the State Fair Midway?
I think not.
Prior to meeting my friend Marna, I'd never been to the State Fair. Ma mère, who is a certifiable snob, refused to permit me to experience the wonders of the State Fair as a teen. "The State Fair is not a proper place for young ladies," she'd extol. "You're right mother," I'd respond under my breath, "all the proper ladies in my school are busy getting stoned in the girl's restroom." (Actually, I think my mother was petrified that I'd be kidnapped by a trucker and end up on some cotton farm outside of Mexia.)
Marna, a transplant from Manhattan, has never missed a year at the State Fair after moving to Dallas after graduating from NYU. While she won't admit it, she doesn't go to see Big Tex or the car show---instead she has this bizarre "thing" for guys that wear Wranglers and boots. (And, yes, she's the same way about Billy Bob's in Ft. Worth.) You might say that she's that Penny Lane character (from the movie "Almost Famous') to the world of cowboy hats, tins of dip, and "howdy ma'am." But, sadly, the only guys that we seem to attract each year are dudes that wear Caterpillar caps and white Reeboks.
I endured this year much the same way as I do every year--- nibbling on a couple of corny dogs, a funnel cake, a bag of cotton candy and an ice-cream bar, while wandering around bored out of my skull while Marna winks it up at every guy that is an Urban Cowboy wanna-be. Then I head home with a head -full of guilt over what I ate (thank God I'm not bulimic) and spend the evening checking my ass out in the mirror worrying that it has gone into State Fair expansion mode.
Next year, Marna be damned, I'm spending October in Majorca.
Did I mention that I don't really like people? I guess I'm bound to run into conflict or crowds if I go to the fair four times. I don't mind standing in line, say, at a Rolling Stones concert at the Cotton Bowl when they had like three restrooms, but waiting in line on a random Tuesday in a building behind people who clearly didn't read the birth control memo just irritates me.
Half of the time I park at a "parking of america" spot. Never again. I don't usually go on weekends, so I didn't know this, but they go up to 15 dollars on weekends. The official State Fair parking is still ten dollars on the weekend. I'll stick with that and also get friendly service instead of non-friendly.
Yeah. I realize that if something has to be cooked...errrr......FRIED, it may take a little longer, but it will definitely take longer if someone forgets your order. They satisfied us with that, but the the lady who was angry with her co-workers also seemed a little angry with us. Whatever. A simple apology would have been enough. No need to explain that it takes a few minutes and they are cooking as fast as they can. They forgot. Remember. Stop by the ADHD booth!
Blah, blah.....onto the reasons I will always give the State Fair five stars...
sunday
~spinach puff - still good after all these years - food - tower building
~fried green beans - still good and fresh green beans make them healthy, right?
~sweet potato fries - always a favorite
~auto banner sign with RECEIVE spelled RECIEVE - classic
~elvis impersonator - fun, although I'm pretty sure we were the only ones laughing (one reason we chose this weekend day to go)
~photo booth that looks like it's a cheesy color one with silly frames around it also produces a plain photo strip (use arrows to choose) that can also be black and white. The strip looks like it will be 4 photos left to right, but it ends up being vertical - very close to the old photo booths that I miss but without the chemicals and waiting......five dollars for two strips
tuesday
cheap Dr. Pepper night....crowded going in, but not so bad if you aren't on the Midway.
~livestock building - cows! love to pet them, won't eat them. (sorry. I'll shut up now.)
~tornato taters - always good for a shared snack
~fire and ice - fried pineapple, strawberries, banana flavored whipped cream. bowl or cone..Bowl is good for sharing. Bowl 10 coupons and cone 12.....a little high. It was okay but I wouldn't have it again.
I could have had the fried chocolate chip cookie dough, but I thought the fruit would be the healthier choice (ha) near the food and fiber building
~awesome bread pudding. The title on their sign actually says awesome. (between Big Tex and the auto show entrance) It was good and hot, even without the rum sauce. I have really bad memories of rum that come from a cheap drink night at the Ritz ballroom back in the day.
If you're still reading, I did find the ADHD booth(s). One backs up to the food and fiber building, and the other is near the exit that goes out to the Starplex parking lot....on Coliseum Drive, east of the Coliseum....Anyway, they didn't arrive until the 8th. That's why I couldn't find them before. They say I am symptomatic of ADHD, but I already knew that.
Final note:
Try to go to the fair during the week. You'll love it more.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
10/7/2008
I'm beginning to think that the ADHD mobile unit saw something shiny and forgot to park. I had time… Read more »
Yes, I know it doesn't open for another week. But this is THE BEST EVENT OF THE YEAR! If I ever said don't miss it, and I wouldn't unless I reeeaaallly meant it, that palely compares to my glowing recommendation for the Great State Fair of Texas.
I can't wait for that first Fletcher's corny dog. There is nothing on this earth like it. Crunchy on the outside, it has a definite "shell" you bite into to get to the softer part of the corn breading and the excellent meat. Perfect combo of salty and just a bit of sweet, especially with a big dollop of mustard. I say order two at a time, because you will immediately want another if you just get one.
My second favorite "must have" is the cherry strudel in the Coca Cola Food Court. If there was a visual dictionary entry for the phrase "flaky and scrumptious" there would be a picture of this strudel.
I also enjoy trying the various takes on fried craziness that always compete here. I've enjoyed the final products to varying degrees, but the fun is really in the creativity and always something new to try.
Once I get full and need a digestion break, I go see the craft and art competition exhibits and, of course, the butter sculpture. I also enjoy the butterfly gardens and whatever they have at the Hall of State is usually worth seeing.
I hope to see y'all there! I will update on specifics after I get a chance to go (hopefully opening day)
Ok, so this is based on last year's experience as I didn't bother to go this year. Had I not had to work on a Tuesday, I fully would have drank a nasty Dr. Pepper (sorry people) just to get in for $3.
All I can say is what a harsh biff. Not as much food as I would have expected, although I did experience my very FIRST corny dog. Yes, that's right people. I'd never eaten a corn dog until the age of 27.
I'm not a fan of rides, but am more there for the animals and the artsy stuff. I had a hard time finding the artsy stuff.
The Go Texan section of food and what not was awfully cool in my book, but that's because I'm a foo-addict. Yep. A food addict. I just made that up.
Anyway... having been to the San Diego County Fair, the New Mexico State Fair and the Cuyahoga County Fair (in Ohio), I have to say that I was sorely disappointed in the big state of Texas. Although Big Tex was pretty cool. Did you know that the voice dude is there ALL day, reading that stuff live??? For real.
I guess I'm just not a state fair kind of person. First, parking is really hard to find, and there aren't enough people directing traffic. There's very little signage, and it's not really clear what trams to take and how the trams are all coordinated (or not coordinated).
Coming from California, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it was EXPENSIVE! $14 for admission, which didn't get you a whole lot. There was an "auto show", but it was more like a GM advertisement than anything else. I did see some Nissan cars, but they were stuck outside under the hot sun. We went on some rides, which were all really expensive as well. My nephew liked some carpet slide ride, so I was happy to take him on it. That said, we passed on almost everything else since they were fairly anemic and super expensive (compared to the roller coasters and amusement parks where I live).
The food is your standard fair menu, with corn dogs, lemonade, soda, ice cream, corn on the cob, etc. It's all super expensive, and not particularly tasty. I did think the lemonade was quite good, and tasted like it was freshly squeezed.
As I was leaving, we passed by the animal exhibition area. It didn't help that I saw a HUGE pig lying in a relatively small cage outside the bathroom. The entire sight was quite disgusting.
The fair is HUGE, which is nice. It's not particularly crowded once you're inside, and there's quite a bit to do. The bathrooms I went into were disgusting, which is a definite minus in my book. There must be a lot of costs I don't see (or maybe there's some fundraising?), but everything at the fair was ridiculously expensive.
I always looked forward to going to the fair every year. I always plan it so I can get tickets to OU vs Texas and get to go to the fair for free. All the years I went Texas won the game so the fair was more fun. I felt proud to wear my burnt orange eating fried everything! The games are normal carnival type games but it seems like the vendors are more giving. A lot of times I got prizes just for playing. Corny dogs are the best. Turkey legs always look better than they actually end up tasting.
After about a 5 year break from going to the State Fair, I decided it would be fun to go with a friend who had never been before. But it seems he was about as non-plused as I was. After the customary insane attempt to rendezvous with other friends on site, we were finally all together. The best part of the fair was each other's company. We wandered around in search of interesting food, but finally gave in to the common chili dogs because the lines looked like they would be less than a 20 minute wait. Correct - it was only 15.
Eventually we made it to the belgian waffles which, with Fletcher's corny dogs, are the only real reason to eat at the fair. I think this year they were even better than ever before. And I can't believe that 3 of us agreed that the absolute best thing at the fair was the strawberry lemonade! That is just sad ..... but true!!!
After hours of searching we finally found the infamous chicken fried bacon. I was definitely disappointed. Cooked till the CF batter was close to burnt, the bacon was dry and tough, and generally it was a wasted effort. Yeah it was fried and bacon fat is one of my favorite seasonings, but this was nearly tasteless. No succulence of pork fat.
As for rides and sights, well when the poultry barn is the most amusing thing you see without a 30 minute wait, I just don't see the point anymore.
If this had been my only excursion for the weekend, I would have ended feeling like a jaded old fuddy-duddy who was getting too cynical about spending exhorbitant amounts of money on cheap, crappy food.
Its a good thing there is better entertainment in Dallas - almost anywhere!
What kept the ranking from going down even lower was the DART shuttle. Its a wise choice, and with rail next year it will even better. Though I think I will be enjoying ya'll getting off the highway, instead of riding to the fair myself.
The state fair in Tennesse is what I grew up on...I always thought it was pretty good but now I know it is too small and only goes on 10 days. Now the State Fair of Texas is the shizz - this fair is so huge and there's so much to see, ride, and most importantly EAT that it is hard to imagine ever going to another state fair again. I've gone every year so I'll just make a random list of things you should and should not do while there:
-uh, people watch, of COURSE. Spotted on this trip - a carny with a T shirt on that says "I PEE IN POOLS". Niiiice.
-EAT. This trip I had the Fletchers Corny Dog, the chicken fried bacon (good God this was yummy), the fried snickers (words cannot describe how much I love this), and tried a funnel cake also. Got my free ice cream on in the Food and Fiber building too. (Although maybe a DO for the state fair should also be SHOWER because the people in front of me in line smelled like maybe they forgot...for days)
-RIDE the rides. IF it isn't too windy or raining...who knows what might happen if you ride them during any sort of adverse weather. But any other time you should totally get on whichever one makes you feel scared. If you ride the bungee ball or whatever that thing is...well...I'll watch and cheer you on.
-DRINK. Apparently you can drink on the cheap at the fair. Unfortunately I am usually driving when I go, so I have yet to be drunk there. Wait, there was one time I went to a concert at the fair...it is a pretty hazy memory...so I guess I am not above getting drunk at the fair. Damn! And I thought I'd found a place in Dallas I haven't been drunk at yet. haha
-PIG races - these are so hilarious to me for some reason. If you are there when there's a race starting up, go for the hell of it.
-CAR show - I like looking at the concept cars and the new muscle cars (Uh check out the new Camaro and the new Challenger. Yes, I am a redneck.)
-Livestock - sometimes I like checking this out, sometimes I'll pass. I do like the horses the best, so if you are over there check it out!
-PLAY some games, try and win a stuffed animal, blow some cash - you know most of those games are freakin rigged. Play the Pick up Ducks if you want to be guaranteed a crap prize hehe
-AVOID the kiddie midway - you will get swept up into a vortex of strollers never to be heard from again.
-AVOID the last weekend at the fair unless you get there in the morning. I went with my parents last year and had to park a mile away and had to fight people to walk anywhere the entire day. If there was ever a day to get drunk at the fair, that was the day. Best time to go is during a weekday.
I love the State Fair of Texas!!
