State Fair of Texas

The Professor and I have enjoyed state fairs in Minnesota and Wisconsin over the years, but after 12 years of living in the great state of Texas, we decided it was time to load up the carriage and take the family to the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. State Fairs bring such a sense of excitement, nostalgia and history to the air.

I love walking through those old fair grounds and thinking of the thousands and thousands of families before us who have packed up their contest entries, put on their best clothes and come to town for the fair. The Texas State Fair has been held on these grounds since 1886! Imagine the buzz all those years ago as the ranchers and the ranch hands brought their cattle to show off and the wives escaped their duties for the day, bringing their best pies and handwork hoping to go home a blue ribbon.



Overheard (Sunshine): "Mommy, I get dizzy just standing here looking around!"



Before we arrived, the children all thought they might be brave enough for the Ferris wheel, but in the end, 5 year old Rosebud and her daddy were the only ones to go for the ride. Here she is beaming just before getting on.

The Texas Star (Ferris wheel) is the tallest in North America, towering over
Fair Park at 212 feet.
Overheard: "From the top, the people looked like confetti!"

This stadium has been home to famous Red River Shootout--the great rivalry game between Oklahoma and Texas--since 1929. I have no comment about this year's game.

In 1942, Neil & Carl Fletcher unveiled their new creation at the Fair: Corny Dogs.

Living History: Everyone still enjoys a corny dog.

Gotta' love this promotional for the monorail. In case you didn't know, the State Fair of Texas features deep fried foods. We passed on the deep fried lattes. Seriously.

The Art Deco architecture is a striking feature of Fair Park.

It's not that I am a big Art Deco fan, just love how this vintage era style
unintentionally does so much to create that nostalgic ambience.

We also enjoyed spectacular handwork displays such as this stunning quilt.

There were interesting animals to observe and to pet.
The petting zoo included giraffes, kangaroos, camels and other exotic
creatures in addition to the perennial favorite farm stock.

There was a roller coaster ride for the two older children, a dog show,
a string puppet theater show, Big Tex, a cooking show, and so much more.
It was an exhaustingly wonderful day. Proof:

Overheard (Firstborn to Sunshine): "Sunshine, this is a once in a lifetime experience."

I am not so sure about that, Firstborn, but it was a memorable day of family fun.