State Fair

The State Fair by artist Dahlia Woods

The Texas State Fair, the largest state fair in the United States, opens today.  Over the next 24 days, almost 3 million people will pass through the entrance of Fair Park, to experience the midway, eat a [Fletcher's] "corny" dog (delicious I  might add and I was skeptical), see the auto show (the only state fair with that feature) and ride the largest ferris wheel in North America.  

Presiding over it all is Big Tex, the sixty-year-old, 52 foot tall symbol of the fair.  His hinged jaw moves and announcements about the fair seemingly come from him (reminders to not miss the auto show, for example).  It's like Gulliver's Travels meets some sort of weird ventriloquist act.  In my opinion, it's a little bit (okay, maybe a lot) creepy, but people seem to love it (him).   

Last year, our family made our first ever trek to the State Fair (on what was no doubt the hottest Saturday, on record, in any October, ever, in Texas). We're going to try to take our cue from the weather man this year and attempt a visit on a cooler day.  Believe it or not, many local schools and some businesses give their students/employees a day off (my husband's company gives every employee 1/2 day off and two free tickets) during the fair so that everyone can attend. This year my son's school says October 8th is Fair Day.

One hundred and twenty six years of Texas tradition - the Texas State Fair is not to be missed.  

Postscript: On the morning of October 19th, just two days after our family made a Wednesday evening pilgrimage to the Fair, Big Tex burned to the ground as the result of an electrical fire. Despite the comments above, I assure you, I had nothing to do with it.  Tex's demise prompted much sadness as well as the funny refrain "Tex is toast."  Fair organizers are promising to rebuild the Fair's iconic symbol.