{"id":6580,"date":"2025-10-16T12:09:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T12:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/6580\/"},"modified":"2025-10-16T12:09:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T12:09:13","slug":"first-time-at-the-state-fair-2-newbies-see-if-dallas-attraction-is-worth-the-hype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/6580\/","title":{"rendered":"First time at the State Fair? 2 newbies see if Dallas attraction is worth the hype"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two transplants from New York to North Texas \u2014 who happen to be editors at The Dallas Morning News \u2014 visited the State Fair of Texas<\/a> to see if the Most Texan Place on Earth really is a big deal. <\/p>\n

Bobby Caina Calvan, deputy government accountability editor, and business editor Javier E. David<\/a> explored the State Fair. Here\u2019s what they saw, felt and ate.<\/p>\n

The Texas State Fair is an annual tradition that draws fans from near and far along with families who rely on the event to sustain their livelihoods<\/p>\n

Business editor Javier E. David<\/p>\n

A Brooklyn resident for nearly 30 years, Javier grew up on Long Island, went to high school in Miami and attended Long Island University. He moved to Dallas in 2024.<\/p>\n

News Roundups<\/p>\n

Catch up on the day’s news you need to know.<\/p>\n

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The word \u201cnostalgia\u201d means a lot of things to a lot of people, but it\u2019s the perfect way to describe the State Fair. That\u2019s what it triggered for me as I navigated the excited crowds, bright lights, gravity-defying rides, fried foods with enough calories to make a cardiologist swoon \u2014 and of course Big Tex.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it: If you\u2019ve been to one amusement park, you\u2019ve been to them all, and with a few notable exceptions, the grub and mechanized distractions are mostly mirror images of multiple other locations \u2014 regardless of which one you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Morning News business editor Javier E. David shows his souvenir t-shirt during State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas. <\/p>\n

Shafkat Anowar \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

And yet, I found myself captivated by the State Fair\u2019s vibe<\/a>, even though I really don\u2019t like crowds, and it wasn\u2019t long before I realized why. <\/p>\n

The color, the noise, the playfulness and promise of a good time for all. \u2026It was very reminiscent of my childhood spent in local fairs and amusement parks. The preponderance of adults also reminded me of the environment one finds in the middle of a certain desert city in a certain Western State. Yes, the State Fair of Texas really is equal parts Disney and Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Gripes about the event<\/a> have certainly gotten a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Even if you are comped the price of admission, a day at the fair will still cost<\/a> a LOT of money. Tickets for all that food and entertainment really adds up, and it\u2019s hard to justify the expense in an era when all of us are feeling the pinch of inflation on our wallets. <\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Morning News business editor Javier E. David slides down the ramp during the State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas. <\/p>\n

Shafkat Anowar \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Visits to the State Fair will probably involve raiding the virtual piggy bank, but it\u2019s hard to deny that if you do decide to go, and if you decide it\u2019s worth spending the money, you will undoubtedly have a good time. This old curmudgeon certainly did. <\/p>\n

Bobby Caina Calvan, deputy government accountability editor<\/p>\n

Bobby Caina Calvan, relocated to Dallas after working several years for the Associated Press, based in their New York office. <\/p>\n

I last visited a state fair decades ago in California\u2019s capital of Sacramento. Before that it was maybe a decade earlier in my home state of Hawaii.<\/p>\n

Truth be told, I\u2019m not a fan of crowds and icky-sticky cotton candy. Carnival food is not my \u201cthang.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2026 Unless it\u2019s a corn dog \u2014 although just hours earlier, I was gently and ribbingly chided when I mistakenly referred to a CORNY dog a mere corn dog. <\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Morning News Deputy Editor for Government Accountability, Bobby Caina Calvan, takes a selfie with the Big Tex during State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas. <\/p>\n

Shafkat Anowar \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

To my surprise, a corny dog<\/a> is like no other. Throwing my caution against superlatives to the wind, I dare say it was the best corn breaded hot dog on a stick I\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n

Maybe I should have also searched for a crab and mozzarella arancini, which got the Big Tex award<\/a> for savory bites.<\/p>\n

I moseyed over to a cotton candy stand and talked the nice woman into giving me several extra swirls of wispy sugar. It was sweet delight at first; but soon my body shuddered mildly. There is such a thing as too much.<\/p>\n

My colleague is absolutely right: The State Fair, when you\u2019re a grownup, is all about nostalgia \u2013 from corny dogs, cotton candy, and the midway \u2014 where a sucker is born every minute. <\/p>\n

A Ferris wheel ride<\/a> for $16, and the pocket-emptying games that must be rigged, right? I thought so until I won a teddy bear by popping three consecutive balloons. My luck at sinking basketballs, even with my perfect shooting form, netted me zilch.<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"National<\/p>\n

On a Tuesday night, the crowds were relatively sparse. There were lines here and there, including at the Ferris wheel, where you could hear a grumble or two, as well as the faint sounds of fairgoers coughing up their bucks. At $16 a ride, even ole\u2019 Big Tex might have second thoughts. The sky tram has fewer people in line and gives you a grand view of the fairgrounds.<\/p>\n

This curmudgeon is also no fan of carnival rides, but I gave in to nostalgia when I trudged (OK, wheezed) up a metal stairwell to breeze down the Fast Trax Slide, an eight-lane chute. <\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Morning News Deputy Editor for Government Accountability, Bobby Caina Calvan, takes a shot at the balloon dirt game during State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas. <\/p>\n

Shafkat Anowar \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

There is a lot to take in at the fair \u2014 certainly too much for a single visit. There are farm exhibits, a petting zoo and agricultural displays.<\/p>\n

But before the fair ends, I hope to take in my first Texas rodeo<\/a>. More importantly, I need to get myself to the pig races.<\/p>\n

Forget the rides, games and cotton candy (I\u2019ll keep the corny dogs, thank you) \u2014 but what can be more amusing than watching piglets race around a track?<\/p>\n

Rodeo and pig races \u2014 you won\u2019t find either in New York City. A state fair can\u2019t be any more Texas than that!<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/a>Dallas Trinity FC aims for largest crowd in team history vs. Club America at State Fair<\/a><\/p>\n

With an estimated 125,000 fairgoers expected that day, DTFC co-founder and CEO Jim Neil sees a golden opportunity to draw new supporters and amplify the team\u2019s growing momentum.<\/p>\n

\"State<\/a>The heart at Gate 5: Meet the woman who\u2019s greeted State Fair goers for 35 years <\/a><\/p>\n

Faye Thomas from South Dallas has worked Gate 5 at the State Fair of Texas scanning tickets and welcoming families with a smile<\/p>\n

\"Texas<\/a>Letters to the Editor \u2014 Closed primaries, Dallas City Hall, renewable energy, State Fair<\/a><\/p>\n

Readers don\u2019t support closed primaries; advocate to repair, not destroy Dallas City Hall; support renewable energy; and talk about State Fair prices.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>A food guide for the 2025 State Fair of Texas<\/a><\/p>\n

Want to eat well at the fair? Here\u2019s everything you need to know. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two transplants from New York to North Texas \u2014 who happen to be editors at The Dallas Morning…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6581,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,104,103,5253,368,424,6611,27],"class_list":["post-6580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-fair-park","tag-state-fair-of-texas","tag-state-fair","tag-texana","tag-texas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6580\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}