Attractions

CHEVROLET MAIN STAGE - Outdoor festival-type venue with concerts all week long and headliners on weekends. FREE with State Fair admission. Sponsored by Chevrolet.

Qualified drivers get the keys from the carmaker in the CHEVROLET TEST TRACK. Take a spin in the all-new Cruze, Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, Silverado HD or Traverse in East Park Plaza. FREE.

The crowd-pleasing ILLUMINATION SENSATION offers lights, music, dancing waters and pyrotechnics along the recently refurbished 700-ft. Esplanade reflecting pool. Mattress Firm sponsors the FREE show nightly.

Nights will sparkle when the STARTEX POWER PARADE glides through Fair Park. Featuring illuminated floats, giant puppets and the USMC Drum & Bugle Corps each evening at 7:15 p.m. FREE.  Sponsored by StarTex Power.

Enjoy a bird's-eye view of Fair Park from the TEXAS SKYWAY. The aerial track stretches 1,800 ft. between two stations; gondolas accommodate strollers or wheelchairs. Sponsored by Choctaw Casino/Resort.

"Amazing" is often used to describe the Russian Bar Trio. Using only a bar (or "barre," or pole), floor acrobats work in tandem with the Trio's aerial "flyer." Their graceful athleticism will captivate State Fair audiences daily at 1, 2 & 3 p.m.+ 12 noon shows Sat/Sun in Marine Corps Square. FREE with Fair admission. Sponsored by Dick's Sporting Goods.

Comedic buccaneers stir up plenty of action when the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN DIVE SHOW returns with champion athletes in a medley of splash-tacular stunts. Daily at noon, 2 and 4 p.m., + 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. In Gateway Plaza. FREE. Sponsored by McDonald's.

Ronald McDonald will be greeting fans of all ages during scheduled performances on the McDONALD’S STAGE IN GATEWAY PLAZA. McDonald’s is the proud sponsor of the Pirates of the Pirates of the Caribbean Dive Show. FREE.

• Sat., 9/25, at 6 p.m., Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic® featuring Grambling State vs. Prairie View A&M
• Sat., 10/2, time TBA, AT&T Red River Rivalry® as Oklahoma takes on Texas
• Sat., 10/9, time TBA, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Shootout® between Texas Tech and Baylor

Clothes make the man, and in the case of 52-ft. tall BIG TEX, that's an under-statement. Only the best for Tex -- his clothing is provided by Dickies; his footwear is by Twisted X Boots.

Don't miss the MOBILE TOURS rolling into the State Fair throughout its 24-day run.  Energy issues, health info, games, giveaways, technology and fun! The sponsored, mobile displays are located throughout the grounds.

The BMX BIKE SHOW presents, up close & personal, the all-star 720 Action Sports team performing gravity-defying feats in the Thrillway. Co-sponsored by U.S. Air Force and Dr Pepper Cherry. FREE.

The CELEBRITY KITCHEN is the backdrop for this popular event in Creative Arts. Celebrity chefs demonstrate recipes of all kinds in daily shows.  FREE. The Celebrity Kitchen is sponsored by Wolf Brand Chili.

The STATE FAIR AUTO SHOW, the biggest new car and truck show in the Southwest, features new models, concept vehicles and weekend collectors' rallies. FREE.

Texans love trucks, and the TRUCK ZONE is where to find 'em. Entertainment and new offerings from Chevy, Ford, Toyota, GMC, as well as a few surprises. FREE.

CLASSIC CORRAL - A revolving display of vintage autos, motorcycles, Chris-Crafts and more. Meet owners and club members on weekends. Look for the corral fence, across Grand from the African American Museum. FREE.

Find lots of animals to see and feed at the CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER BARNYARD. Visit the popular nursery where sows, ewes, nanny goats and their young are spotlighted. Presented by Children's Medical Center. FREE.

Step right up! Imaginations soar at the Schepps Children's Activity Center - featuring the Backyard Circus and Mother Goose Storytime.  Sponsored by Schepps Dairy. FREE.

Steve Martin's free-flight  BIRDS OF THE WORLD showcases feathered friends from around the globe + a singing showstopper. Four shows daily in the Band Shell. Sponsored by Kroger. FREE.

Smack dab in the exhilaration of the Midway is KIDWAY, featuring scaled-down rides for smaller Fair guests and all-around family-friendly fun. Sponsored by Time Warner Cable.

Take a seat & have a sip. The courtyard setting of the STATE FAIR OF TEXAS WINE GARDEN offers tastings daily. What better fit than jazz on weekends? Across from Creative Arts. Sponsored by GO TEXAN.

Looking for a staggering selection of drinks + yummy edibles in an air-conditioned environment? Find it in the COCA-COLA FOOD COURT, located on the back side of the Tower Bldg. Sponsored by Coca-Cola.

PIG RACES - There they go, snout-to-snout, down the stretch! Three times an evening, visitors can "wager" on these wiggly piglets as they send the sawdust flying. Pan American Arena. FREE.

The dirt flies as little buckaroos in chaps and hats jump on stick horses & go for it at the PEE WEE STAMPEDE. Daily, in the Ranch Arena. Sponsored by Sensodyne.FREE.

GONE TO THE DOGS -The Pan American Arena is jumpin' with canine action!  Free shows demonstrate the skills and agility of man's best friend. The arena also hosts daily pig races.  FREE.

From Washington, D.C., see the famed UNITED STATES MARINE DRUM & BUGLE CORPS in afternoon shows at Marine Corps Square and in the evening parade .(Sept. 24 - Oct. 11). Marine Corps Square is presented by Dick's Sporting Goods. FREE.

STATE FAIR FALL GARDEN EXHIBITION: Landscapers vie for Best of Show bragging rights; sculptors ratchet up the visual appeal with art. Design + planting info is available each step of the way. FREE. Sponsored by The Home Depot. 

The MIDWAY features 70+ attractions, including the overhead Texas SkyWay®, the 212-ft. Texas Star® Ferris wheel and a 1914 Dentzel carousel. Adrenaline rushes are guaranteed in the extreme ride Thrillway section. Definitely one of the Fair's most popular destinations.

LIVESTOCK BREED DISPLAYS: Cows, pigs, sheep and goats are showcased in breed displays on modern livestock production. Free exhibits located in Cattle Barn 1 and the Swine Building.

LITTLE HANDS ON THE FARM in "pretend" egg-gathering, planting, harvesting, and caring for a cow. At the end, they get play money for grocery shopping at the store. Sponsored by Bank of America, Dreyer's Ice Cream, AT&T and Wal-Mart/Sam's Club. FREE.

"WORLD ON A STRING" PUPPET SHOW: Master puppeteer John Hardman and his cast of marionettes perform throughout the day in Creative Arts' Showplace Theater. FREE. Sponsored by Kitchen Craft International.

Guests line the fence when SPIRIT OF THE HORSE begins. Expert Robert Liner showcases his training methods and communication with horses. Daily, in the Ranch Arena. FREE.

LIVESTOCK: Diligence and countless hours pay off for 4H and FFA exhibitors at the Youth Livestock Auction of Champions. Shows and sales offer an array of beef and dairy cattle, sheep, swine, goats, poultry and exotic breeds.

Watch and learn as cows from nearby farms demonstrate modern procedures in the MILKING PARLOR. Daily shows. Sponsored by Southwest Dairy Museum. FREE.

SHOP for the practical, the unusual & everything in between. Discover 300+ exhibit spaces in the Coliseum Market Place, Grand Place, Crafts Pavilion, Centennial Building (inside & out), Gateway Pavilion, Embarcadero, East Park/Gateway and the Pennsylvania Gate.

Synonymous with fairs everywhere, CREATIVE ARTS is where to find ribbon-winners in more than 1,100 categories, including canning, quilts, photography and crafts. Contest kitchens feature daily competitions and cooking demos. FREE.

BACKDOOR STAGE : This stage is a favorite among fairgoers.  Located along Nimitz Avenue - adjacent to the Creative Arts Building - the stage offers free concerts daily.

Enjoy wide-ranging diversity in performances by ethnic and cultural dance groups from across the state. Presented by the Texas Cultural Partnership on Saturdays and Sundays in front of the Hall of State.

MUNDO LATINO: Annual celebration of Hispanic culture, its history, traditional music, instruments and costumes. The Mercado is a true shopping experience and is open daily. FREE.

Fair Park's MUSEUMS and attractions have special exhibits during the 24 days of the Fair. Visit the Womens Museum, the African American Museum, the Children's Aquarium at Fair Park, the Museum of the American Railroad, Texas Discovery Gardens, the Museum of Nature and Science, the Continental DAR House and the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.