More than 100 free attractions, 70 Midway rides, four free music stages, and every fried food Texas has ever dreamed up — the Most Texan Place on Earth opens its gates this fall.
Fair Park, Dallas — September 25 through October 18, 2026
Big Tex is climbing back onto his platform, and Texas is getting ready to say “Howdy Folks” all over again. The State Fair of Texas returns for its 2026 run, themed “Stars, Stripes, and Howdies,” bringing 24 straight days of the kind of only-in-Texas fun that’s been a fall tradition at historic Fair Park, located at 1300 Robert B Cullum Boulevard in Dallas, since 1886.
Gates open Friday, September 25, and the fair runs daily through Sunday, October 18. Hours run Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with last entry at 9 p.m. Daily admission runs $15 to $25 for adults and $10 for kids, with discounts available on select days, and season passes start at $52 for anyone planning multiple visits. Tickets and the full schedule are available at bigtex.com.
Once you’re through the gates, more than 100 attractions come included with admission. That means four separate live music stages running all 24 days, all free with your ticket, mixing national touring acts on the Chevrolet Main Stage with regional Texas talent at the Bud Light, Bank of Texas, and Levi’s Denim Club stages. Seventy Midway rides keep the carnival side of things going strong, and the fairgrounds themselves sprawl across Fair Park, home to a cluster of museums that stay open during the run with their own special exhibitions.
Of course, no State Fair trip is complete without the food. Fletcher’s Corny Dogs and Fried Oreos remain the reigning classics, and each year the fair rolls out a fresh batch of new fried creations alongside them. Bring an appetite and expect to find something you’ve genuinely never seen fried before.
Families with younger kids should keep an eye on the fair’s youth agricultural program, where Texas 4-H and FFA exhibitors show and sell their prize animals — one of the more genuinely moving things you’ll come across anywhere at the fairgrounds. Car lovers can also head to the Texas Auto Show, which typically features hundreds of the latest vehicle models on display.
Getting there is part of the planning. Parking is available at official fair lots starting around $25 per car, or you can skip the traffic altogether and take the DART Green Line straight to the Fair Park Station.
Whether it’s your first trip or your fiftieth, the State Fair of Texas has a way of making everyone feel like a kid again. Mark the calendar for September 25, bring the family, and get ready for 24 days of the most Texan place on Earth.
