The State Fair of Texas, described as a celebration of all things Texan, is currently running through October 18 at Fair Park in the city of Dallas, where it’s been held nearly every year since 1886.
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However, while this massive annual state fair is known for being Dallas’s signature event, the first official state fair in the state of Texas wasn’t held in Dallas, but rather in the city of Houston, on the north side of Buffalo Bayou.
In the audio above, Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor and co-host of Houston Public Media’s Party Politics, explains why the first state fair was organized in Houston, why the state fair eventually disappeared from the Bayou City, and how Dallas became the home of the state fair we know today.
Also, Rottinghaus speaks with a former journalist and long-time Dallas resident, who’s been documenting the story of Fair Park and the State Fair of Texas, to get her perspective on the current challenges facing Fair Park and what’s happening to address the problematic parts of its history.
Featured Guest: Myra Moore, president of Restore Fair Park