The State Fair of Texas opens Friday at Fair Park in Dallas, beginning a 24-day run through Oct. 18 with lower ticket prices, Big Tex, fried food, rides and a military flyover at tonight’s opening ceremony.
Parking gates and ticket booths open at 9:30 a.m. Entry gates open at 10 a.m. Friday hours run until 10 p.m., with last entry at 9 p.m. The fair is at 3809 Grand Avenue, just east of downtown. The DART Green Line stops at Fair Park Station near the main gate.
The opening ceremony is set for 6:45 p.m. on the Hall of State steps. After the national anthem, an America 250 flyover is scheduled with a B-52 Stratofortress, two F-35 Lightning IIs and an A-10 Thunderbolt II. New U.S. Air Force enlistees are then expected to take the Oath of Enlistment. An HH-60 Pave Hawk and other military displays are planned near the Hall of State through Sunday. This year’s theme is “Stars, Stripes, and Howdies.”
ONE more sleep, y’all! 🤠⭐️ The 2026 State Fair of Texas opens TOMORROW! 🎡
— State Fair of Texas (@StateFairOfTX) September 24, 2026
Your Fair countdown is sponsored by our friends at Bank of Texas ⭐ pic.twitter.com/wnlwOhuFr1
The Dallas Morning News reported that adult gate admission starts at $15 Monday through Thursday and $25 Friday through Sunday, $2 less than last year for weekday adults. Children 3 to 12 are $10 every day. Kids 2 and under get in free. After 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, admission is $10. Official parking is $25, down $5 from 2025. Ride prices dropped about 17 percent, fair officials said. Online tickets can cost more because of processing fees.
The fair still bans firearms and requires visitors 17 and younger who enter after 5 p.m. to be with someone 21 or older. Officials say they work with Dallas Fire-Rescue, DART police and private security and run a 24-hour command center during the fair.
Admission includes more than 100 attractions and live music. Clint Black is booked for opening night on the Chevrolet Main Stage, now inside Fair Park Coliseum. The Midway has about 70 rides. New family areas this year include Little Lone Stars Land and a reimagined Kidway.
Officials hope cheaper tickets and a strong opening weekend draw crowds after last year’s attendance dip.
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