One of the many things I have been enjoying in my new home state is the annual state fair. The 2008 Texas State Fair is hosted in Dallas, Texas from September 26 to October 19. The state fair offers numerous shows and live performances that the whole family will love. Let me give you some details in case you’re interested to go too. I promise you a whole day of fun!

TEXAS STATE FAIR DATES & LOCATION

As mentioned above, the state fair runs from September 26 to October 19. The Park opens at 10 am and closes at 10 pm. The Fair Park closes at 9pm on Tuesdays to Thursdays. The Texas State Fair is held at the Fair Park in Dallas. Need an address to type in your GPS/Nav System? It’s 3921 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dallas TX, 75210.

PARKING

There are about seven (perhaps more) huge parking lots surrounding the area of Fair Park, Dallas. Official parking lots will cost you $10 for the whole day. They also offer valet parking at $25. Unofficial State Fair parking lots can be found around the area too. They charge $15 though. But if I were you, just part at the official State fair parking lots because they are patrolled and monitored by Dallas police. They’re cheaper and they’re safe. Nothing beats that.

TICKETS

1. General Admission: $14, $11.50 for groups of 20 or more
2. Kids under 48″ tall: $10, $9 for groups of 20 or more
3. Children 2 and under: FREE
4. Seniors 60 and over: $10, FREE on October 2, 9, and 16
5. Garden Getaway combo ticket: $17 (Admission to State Fair plus Garden Getaway)
6. King Tut at Dallas Museum of Art: $32.50
7. RV Parking (no hookups): $200, $275 with electrical hookup

TIP: We bought our tickets at Kroger Supermarket. They are one of the sponsors and they give discounted tickets. General admission tickets cost $12.50 each!

* Admission fee inclusive of shows and exhibits. Rides are not included. Paid attractions include shark feeding, IMAX shows, Musical Show, and King Tut Exhibit.

FOOD & DRINKS

You can bring food and drinks including coolers and wagons. If you’re on a budget, it’s best that you bring your own food and some bottled water and just place them in a back pack or body bag so you don’t have to carry them. We got the $5 for 5 Arby’s roast beef sandwiches (burgers) before we head on to Fair Park. Beers are allowed, guns are allowed too (except in the Cotton Bowl area). If you’re buying food inside, better purchase coupons because it will be more expensive to pay in cash. You can purchase coupons at booths scattered all over the park. Don’t worry, there’s a map at the entrance so you won’t get lost. Most coupon booths are located near food stalls so it’s very convenient. A mojito costs about 6 coupons (50 cents per coupon) but it costs $6 if you buy it in cash. An ice cold margarita costs 10 coupons. Large sodas cost about 8 coupons. The famous Chicken Fried Bacon (best-seller) costs 10 coupons. And there are many other food and beverages there like lemonade, corn on a cob, snow cones, beer, wine, slush, ice cream, burgers, fries, tacos, mex food, etc.

SHOWS & BOOTHS

There are so many booths, shows, and shopping centers inside Fair Park. You’ll find shopping centers filled with freebies and samples. Free ice cream from Dairy Farm and food sampling by popular Dallas celebrity Chefs like John Tesar, Steven Pilat, and Christopher Lalonde among many others. A lovely garden display and aquarium is also at stake.

Other booths are from insurance companies and banks. There’s also a booth by L’Oreal where you can paint your nails with their nail polish. They have complete tools and accessories to help you color your nails like cotton, nail polish remover, cleaner, alcogel, etc. They also give out serums and such. Aside from that, there’s a Chevrolet Racing Simulator booth that will give you a feel of NASCAR racing. Of course, there’s also the rides and games at Midway.

Aside from those, there are museums which include the famous King Tutankhamun exhibition flown from Cairo, Egypt. Other museums include Science shows, Patriotic Piano, George Washington, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Meet Maya and Miguel.

There’s also a livestock show featuring rabbits, donkeys, mules, horses, and many others. Aside from that, there’s also the BMX Bike Stunt Shows, Dancing Dogs, Pig Races, Top Flight K9 shows, High flying Daredevils motorbikes, Domino Man, Floats and Parades, Fireworks and Pyro show, Birds of the World, Midway Lights, Corvettes, Lone Star Corvettes, and Auto Shows.

MAIN EVENTS

There are several main events such as the Philippine Dance Company of San Antonio, Country Music Shows (of course this is Texas), and so many others. But the main performance of them all is the featured artist every Sunday. Last October 5, it was American Idol finalist, Kellie Pickler who performed. Will be going back to Texas State Fair on the 17th for Jessica Simpson.

xoxo

Tags: fair park dallas, state fair of texas, texas state fair | Category Fashion Juice Anything