State Fair of Texas wraps its 2025 run, sets dates for 2026

 DALLAS – The 2025 State Fair of Texas has come to a close – yet the memories made this season continue to shine across the Lone Star State. During its 24-day run, the 2025 State Fair welcomed an estimated 2 million people through its gates, each adding their own story to a season filled with tradition, excitement, and Texas-sized memories.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the State Fair of Texas exists to serve the community – both locally and across the state. Each admission ticket, funnel cake, and Midway ride helps support the State Fair’s mission of giving back year-round. Proceeds from the annual event are reinvested to preserve and enhance Fair Park; underwrite community initiatives; fund scholarships for Texas students pursuing higher education; and support Fair Park museums and help improve State Fair operations. Since 2015, the State Fair of Texas has committed more than $85 million to support projects in Fair Park and to improve State Fair operations. The 24-day State Fair of Texas serves as the organization’s largest community program and fundraiser of the year – meaning every successful season directly translates into greater support for agriculture, education, and community. In 2024, due to the success of the prior year’s Fair, the State Fair of Texas was able to contribute more than $19.5 million through philanthropic and Fair Park giving.

“At its core, the State Fair of Texas is about bringing people together to celebrate the spirit and culture that make our state one of a kind. This year, we’ve seen countless moments of joy, connection, and pride that capture what the State Fair is all about. It’s an honor to watch Texans and visitors alike come together year after year to share in the traditions that make this the most Texan place on Earth,” said State Fair of Texas President Mitchell Glieber.

The 2025 State Fair of Texas proved to make a difference in more ways than we can count. Below are just a few of the noteworthy successes from this year’s exhibition:

• The State Fair of Texas is estimated to have welcomed more than 2 million fairgoers through the gates.
• More than 430,000 Visitor’s Guides were handed out, informing fairgoers of all the State Fair fun they can enjoy during their visit.
• The Fair’s busiest day for the 2025 season was Saturday, October 11 – the Allstate® Red River Rivalry. Big Tex welcomed more than 193,000 fairgoers that day.
• The Big Tex Contact Center answered more than 10,400 calls from fairgoers during the 24-day run of the State Fair.
• The State Fair of Texas website saw more than 4 million pageviews, with the schedule page alone drawing over 1.5 million views during the run of the Fair.

Community

• More than 2,880 admission tickets were donated to local nonprofit organizations for the community to enjoy the Fair.
• More than 400 nonprofit leaders attended Community Engagement Day, which was hosted by the State Fair of Texas during the Fair.
• More than 300 faith leaders and community partners came together for fellowship during the annual Pastors Luncheon hosted by the State Fair of Texas during the Fair.
• The State Fair of Texas and the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House & Steering Committee hosted the 8th Annual Juanita Craft Humanitarian Awards, honoring seven individuals following in Mrs. Craft’s footsteps. More than 200 community members were in attendance.
• An estimated 153,000 pounds of food were collected during the State Fair of Texas and donated to the North Texas Food Bank.
• More than 1.4 million free admission tickets were given to Pre-K through 8th grade students throughout North Texas, and more than 290,000 teachers in Pre-K through 12th grade received a voucher for free admission.
• More than 13,000 first responders and their families visited the Fair over 24 days, utilizing the special discount offer in gratitude for their service.
• More than 34,000 members of the military and their families visited the Fair over 24 days, utilizing the special discount offer in gratitude for their service.
• As of 2025, Big Tex Urban Farms has donated more than 26,670 pounds of fresh produce. This equates to more than 9 million servings donated to help feed the South Dallas/Fair Park community since 2016.
• In 2025, the Fair’s Big Tex Scholarship Program awarded more than $1.3 million in new college scholarships to 220 students throughout the Lone Star State.
• With college applications right around the corner, the Fair encourages eligible high school seniors and seasonal employees to go online to BigTex.com/Scholarship and apply now for a 2026 Big Tex college scholarship.

Economic Impact

• The State Fair of Texas is estimated to generate more than $600 million in economic activity each year, serving as one of the most impactful annual events in the Dallas–Fort Worth region.
• The State Fair provides an unparalleled platform for hundreds of local and regional vendors, from family-owned food stands to mom-and-pop shops, to national brand exhibitors. These vendors collectively generate millions of dollars in sales over the 24-day event.
• Each year, Fair operations account for tens of millions of dollars in expenditures related to staffing, maintenance, utilities, security, entertainment, construction, and infrastructure improvements at Fair Park. These investments directly support the regional economy by creating thousands of seasonal and permanent jobs, generating demand for skilled trades, and supporting professional services such as logistics, marketing, and public safety.
• More than just a fun day, the Fair also delivers measurable and recurring public value through millions of dollars of state and local tax revenue from sales tax, hotel occupancy tax, business and vendor fees, employment and payroll tax.

Entertainment, Attractions, and Midway

• More than 148,300 fans were in attendance for the 100th anniversary of the State Fair Classic and the 96th year of the Allstate® Red River Rivalry at the newly renovated historic Cotton Bowl® Stadium during the State Fair.
• A record-breaking crowd of 22,938 fans filled the Cotton Bowl for the historic, first-ever women’s soccer match featuring Dallas Trinity FC and Club América Femenil—the largest attendance ever for a women’s professional sporting event in Texas.
• The Drive Like a Texan Starlight Parade featured brand-new floats that illuminated the fairgrounds each night, with more than 70 volunteers and 1,000 riders adorning the floats during 24 processions. 
• During the sixth year of the Lone Star Music Series, more than 70 Texas music artists performed throughout the grounds.
• More than 25 acts took to the Chevrolet Main Stage this year, with TLC, Village People, Paul Wall, and Cold War Kids drawing the largest crowds at their FREE concerts.
• The Bud Light Stage hosted 31 acts this year, with Jackie Vinson, Matt Castillo, and Los Texmaniacs drawing the largest crowds.
• Throughout the 24 days of the Fair, 3,077 activities happened across the fairgrounds, including shows like USA Breakdancers, Her Majesty’s Secret Circus, live music, shows, and more.
• Little Big Tex made over 150 appearances across the fairgrounds, taking over 10,000 photos with fairgoers.
• Approximately 400,000 prizes were won at the State Fair Midway, with an estimated value of $1.6 million.
• More than 375,000 balloons were popped across the State Fair Midway’s balloon pop games.

Exhibits, Creative Arts, Food and Beverage

• The State Fair welcomed 25 new shopping booths this year, creating 232 shopping locations for fairgoers to enjoy.
• The Texas Auto Show showcased 234 cars and eight golf carts.
• State Farm gave out more than 19,530 bobbleheads to fairgoers during all 24 days of the Fair.
• Community members got crafty with more than 12,320 entries in the Fair’s Creative Arts competitions. The State Fair awarded approximately 6,000 ribbons to folks celebrating their creativity this year.
• The State Fair Creative Arts contests featured 3,874 participants from across the state.
• A total of 8,352 individual cookies entered the gates of the State Fair of Texas on the day of the Cookie Contest.
• Four new concessionaires joined the State Fair of Texas community of vendors this year, in addition to three new food and beverage concepts.
• More than 550,000 Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs were enjoyed by fairgoers during the 24-day State Fair of Texas.
• Throughout the run of the Fair, Big Al’s Grill, Bluebonnet, The Grove, Cone’d, and Fryed proudly served nearly 20,000 Cookie Chaos Milkshakes to fairgoers.

Livestock and Agriculture

• Ag Awareness Day gathered 207 chapters of 4-H, FFA, and FCCLA to participate in the canned food drive, donating more than 28,520 pounds of food to the North Texas Food Bank.
• An estimated 61,100 fans attended 15 FREE rodeo events across the 24-day run of the 2025 State Fair of Texas.
• The Fair’s livestock and agricultural events hosted more than 16,570 livestock and contest entries.
• With more than $2.1 million raised and pledges still coming in, 2025 is on track to be a record-breaking fundraising year for the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction & Scholarship Programs at the State Fair of Texas. Every dollar contributed to these programs goes directly to Texas students, funding auction awards and college scholarships, both locally and throughout the Lone Star State.
• The Grand Champion Market Steer of the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction broke a record this year, selling for $200,000 to Frank Deel and Family.
• The State Fair has awarded more than $21.4 million in auction awards and scholarships since 2018 alone. 
• The Livestock Birthing Barn celebrated 64 animal births throughout the run of the Fair: 49 piglets, 13 calves, and two lambs.

The State Fair of Texas is honored to be part of cherished memories for families across the Lone Star State and beyond. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to historic Fair Park for the 2026 State Fair of Texas, running Friday, September 25, through Sunday, October 18, 2026.

For more information about the State Fair of Texas, visit its website at www.bigtex.com and sign up for its newsletter.