Attractions

CHEVROLET MAIN STAGE - Outdoor festival-type venue, showcasing concerts all week long and headliners on weekends. FREE with State Fair admission. Sponsored by Chevrolet. Chevrolet is the Official Vehicle of the State Fair of Texas.

Qualified drivers get the keys from the carmaker in the CHEVROLET TEST TRACK, located in Chevrolet Town Square. Take a spin in the all-new Cruze, Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, Silverado HD or Traverse in East Park Plaza. Also in Chevrolet Town Square is the Sonic Boom Stage, which showcases up-and-coming artists every day. Chevrolet is the Official Vehicle of the State Fair of Texas. FREE.

The crowd-pleasing ILLUMINATION SENSATION offers lights, music, dancing waters and pyrotechnics along the 700-ft. Esplanade reflecting pool. Fairgoers gather to feel the heat from the fire and the wet from the splashing fountains. The show is produced by Georgia-based Interlaced Productions - a special effects company that marries art, entertainment and technology. Nightly at 8 p.m. Sponsored by Mattress Firm. FREE.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL DURING THE 2013 SEASON!

Sat., Sept., 28 Louisiana Tech vs Army

Sat., Oct. 5, Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic® featuring Grambling State vs. Prairie View A&M. 6 p.m. kickoff.

Sat., Oct. 12, AT&T Red River Rivalry® as Oklahoma takes on Texas.

Nights sparkle when the illuminated floats and giant puppets in the RELIANT STARLIGHT PARADE glide through Fair Park. Don't miss the USMC Drum & Bugle Corps leading off the parade. The Starlight Parade kicks off each evening at 7:15 p.m and is sponsored by Reliant. FREE. 

Steve Martin's free-flight  BIRDS OF THE WORLD showcases feathered friends from around the globe + a singing showstopper. The entertainment of birds "doing what they do best" is the vehicle for a conservation message that is the underlying theme of every show.

Four shows daily in the Band Shell. Sponsored by Kroger. FREE.

When BIG TEX turned 50 in 2002, he was feted with a giant birthday cake and an AARP card, even though he did not in fact retire, proclaiming himself much too young for such as that. Clothing is provided by Dickies.

Enjoy a breathtaking view of Fair Park from the TEXAS SKYWAY. The aerial track stretches 1,800 ft. between two stations; gondolas accommodate strollers or wheelchairs. The $5 million ride soars high above the sights and sounds of the colorful Midway.

Meet 'n' greet Ronald McDonald at McDONALD’S STAGE IN GATEWAY PLAZA.

Test your good fortune and visit the TEXAS LOTTERY LUCK ZONE in its location on Coliseum Drive. Measure your luck in the money machine and spin the wheel for a chance to win great prizes -- this may be your lucky day! Sponsored by the Texas Lottery Commission. FREE.

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 Big Time Actionsports team performing gravity-defying feats in the Thrillway. Sponsored by Hofmann Hot Dogs. 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.

CLASSIC CORRALis a revolving display of vintage automobiles, motorcycles, Chris-Crafts and more. Meet owners and club members on weekends. Look for the corral fence, across Grand Avenue 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. FREE.

Step right up! Imaginations soar at the OAK FARMS CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY CENTER - featuring the Backyard Circus and Mother Goose Storytime.  Mother Goose Storytime is brought to you by the Dallas Public Library and GTECH. The Children's Activity Center is sponsored by Oak Farms. 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 and have a sip. The shady courtyard setting of the STATE FAIR OF TEXAS WINE GARDEN offers tastings daily. Go Texan is the sponsor of the Wine Garden Stage. Across from Creative Arts.

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. Sponsored by Bionic Band. 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.  Sponsored by Bionic Band. 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 (excluding Wednesdays). 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, AT&T and WalMart. FREE. While you are in the area, take the little ones for pumpkin painting nearby.

"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.

SPIRIT OF THE HORSE: Watch as Robert M. Liner, one of the country's top teachers and riders, hosts daily equine demonstrations.

Liner and his In Line Team will share fascinating tips while featuring different horse breeds, from the wild mustang to the exotic Arabian to the all-around Quarter Horse. Four times 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.

BREED DISPLAYS sponsored by Farm Credit Bank.

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.

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