Awe! It’s my annual State Fair of Texas post!!!
Every year, we go to the State Fair of Texas and every year, I come home and show you all of our fun pics. If you are ever in the Dallas/Fort Worth area the last week of September through the third week in October, you must go! It’s huge. It’s so much fun. The food is amazing. The music is fantastic. The people are friendly. It just embodies Texas.
I’ve been going to the fair my entire life, and if I were going to share a tip or two, here’s what they’d be:
1: Go on a week day! Weekends are just crazy busy…especially Texas/OU weekend (they actually play the game inside the fair).
2: We like to go at the end of the day. First of all, if you’re there at night, then you see all of the pretty lights and the Ferris wheel lit up! Also, for the most part, the weather is cooler at night and in my opinion, the experience is just a bit more magical.
3: Look for deals! In Texas, students are each given a free ticket to enter the park, but for other people, you can find daily deals to really reduce your ticket price. I always google it in advance and then do whatever it says (it says random things like if you bring in a 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper, your ticket is only $5…I made that up, but it’s stuff like that!).
4: When you enter the park (or before online), check the daily show times for things because they don’t run all day.
Last Monday after school, we picked up the kiddos and headed straight to the fair. Here are the pics to prove it…
Woohoo!! We we’re at the fair!
We’ve been fair-ing together since 2005!
Andrew isn’t prepared for his future with four teen drivers…as their dad and also as their insurance agent 😉 .
Terrifying.
See Big Tex back there? My kids love to hear him “talk” to us as we go by.
Ashby looks forward to her giant turkey leg every year! Side note, I love, love, love how she wears so many bracelets on her arms. I just think it’s too cute!
I was helping Andrew get our food and stopped to show you the view. It was a beautiful night to enjoy dinner outside.
Speaking of which…my brisket and green beans were delish!
When you share your turkey leg with your little sister 🙂 .
We got suuuuuuuper lucky and had gorgeous weather on our fair day! I’ve told this story a million times, but one of the times the doctor called to tell me another IUI had failed, I had been in line at the fair buying something to eat. And now, 12 years later, it’s so cool to see how God had a plan that whole time. I was crushed and so disappointed, but He had the ultimate plan.
I love my little family so much!!
Every year, we take a tour through the giant log house 🙂 .
Stopping for dessert!
The three bigs wanted to walk through this fun house…M was not interested in going inside. Ha!
She doesn’t mind hanging out with mom and dad 🙂 .
There they go! Do you see them on the haunted house ride? They had so much fun!
For the rest of the night, we rode rides and played games…
Someone won a trumpet 🙂 .
Someone else stole it 😉 .
In the future, Andrew needs to be bad at some games so we don’t leave with quite so much loot!
Smith too for that matter!
A girl and her giant pink snake!
She was soooooo excited that daddy won her a gigantic Peppa!
The fair is beautiful at night!
We left one happy family!
Until next year, State Fair of Texas! We love you!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Seems like you really enjoyed your time at the fair! ?✨
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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Lori says
Great pictures Shay! I just went to our fair this past Friday and you’re so right. The lights, sounds, and all the food smells are magical. I ate way too many naughty things, but hey it only comes around once a year. HA!
Danielle Rigg says
Looks like a great family night. Love how Kensington has the picture pose down down perfectly!
Kassy says
Madeley’s smile while holding her new Peppa Pig is the sweetest.
Narci says
How fun!! Looks like y’all had a blast!!
Simply Styling says
Love this looks like a great time ! Our Iowa State Fair is a ton of fun too ! Loving that gigantic Peppa.
Erika Slaughter says
AHHHH!!!! Is it wrong to be thinking about the State Fair in 2020 already? #toosoon
Laci says
Madeley and Peppa are making this Monday fantastic!!!
Katie says
Love this post! Shay, can you remind us where you guys get your cute fall shirts? I think you said that it’s a website where the inventory changes often but I can’t find it now. Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
Jane.com!!
Katie says
We live in Louisiana and drove over for the fair and went on Friday. It’s so much fun!
Brooke Richardson says
Love all the pics! Looks like you all had a blast!
Debbie says
Madeley has the best picture poses and Smith in that hot rod, watch out Shay! ?. What a great time you all had at the fair! ?
Kristy says
We flew to Dallas a few years ago from South Carolina just to visit the fair. We had the best time!
Teresa says
We went for our first time over TCU Parents Weekend, it was the first weekend it was open. It was so much fun. It would have been better to be there in the evening. There is so much to see and do. We went to some great shows and would have loved to go to more, but by late afternoon we were hot and tired.
Holley@BeeSimplyOrganized.com says
I love this post every year! I wish our state fair was nice like yours. Maybe we just aren’t doing it right or maybe we are too harsh in our opinion! lol! I mean we do have Disney, Universal, Busch Gardens, and Seaworld just minutes away so the fair is a tough comparison. I think we might need to do it like you do and go on a Weekday evening and pray it’s not too hot! 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
I just LOL! I don’t think any state does “fun” quite like yours!!!
Kristy Moore says
Funny that up here in Calgary we have to have our ‘state fair’ (a.k.a. The Calgary Stampede) in July to ensure we have hot enough weather and you have to wait until the 3rd week of September! LOL
Happy Thanksgiving to all the fellow Canadian blog readers!
Gina Andrea Reyes says
Love when you share and give acknowledgement to the Lord’s blessings. I think once you also shared a story about your great-grandparents at the fair. They met or were newlyweds at the fair? Beautiful memories for your family!
Mix and Match Mama says
My grandparents! My grandparents went to the fair in October 1956 and sat on a bench. My grandmother was very pregnant with their first child and they say they sat there and thought “oh my gosh, the next time we come to the fair, we’ll have a baby!”. The next year, in October 1957, they went back to the fair and sat on the very same bench…but they had TWO BABIES! They had my uncle who was 11 months old and my mom who was a few weeks old. Hahaha! They say they sat there and just looked at each other like “what in the world happened?!”.
Jen says
I just need to know – what do you do with the gigantic stuffed animals?? If you go every year (and with four kids) your house must be overflowing with them by now!
Mix and Match Mama says
Those stuffed animals are PERFECT for donations! We keep them a bit and then they get donated. Right now, we’re having an awesome garage sale for the Manda Strong Foundation, so we donated a ton of stuffed animals/toys to that.
Jeanie says
Kensington and her cute poses! And I’ve noticed in a few of your pictures lately, Madeley’s started to mimic her.
Lauren says
Your story about the IUI and how God had a plan resonated so deeply for me. We are currently waiting for our time to come and I keep praying and trusting in God that our future little ones will come eventually…and right on time. There is a quote I like “Life is always on time.” I try to remember it in times when I can’t quite understand why the timing I want isn’t working out according to plan. Thanks for this reminder today and blessings to you and your family!
Mix and Match Mama says
I love that quote, Lauren. For so many years, I’ve clung to Ephesians 3:20. Praying for you right this minute.
Suzanne Rodriguez says
Awww… wish my police hubby had gotten a picture with y’all! So fun to see all of your pictures! Maybe next year we can coordinate trips to the fair. ?
Reese says
That looks like so much fun. I will defiantly have to go one year. The girls are so cute. Love reading everyday. Thanks for brightening my day. https://little-by-little46.webnode.com/
Olivia Gotta says
Any tips on parking at the fair?
Mix and Match Mama says
We like to park close by since we go so late at night.
Olivia says
Ok! My husband and I just landed in Dallas. Either of us have ever visited before. We are headed to the fair and then spending the remainder of our trip checking out McKinney— thanks to you!! We are so excited!
Mix and Match Mama says
Awe!!! Have the best time!!!
Shannon says
I’m going to need you to tell me where you got the little’s sweet jeans from! They are so cute!
Mix and Match Mama says
Matilda Jane last year!
Ella says
Whenever you post about the State Fair I wish our state had one in the fall. we have state fair in the summer.