Over the weekend, my husband, son and I went to the state fair of Texas!
The state fair is something that I personally look forward to every year. Great food, animals to interact with, fun games, and an awesome atmosphere. What could be better?
Living in the Fort Worth part of DFW, I don’t explore Dallas as much as I should. But when the state fair is in town, I know I have to make an effort to drive out there.
Being on a tight budget, the state fair is definitely an event that I need to save up for. Luckily, I’ve learned a lot of tips and tricks throughout the years that have helped me save money while not depriving myself.
Hopefully, these tricks can help you too!
Planning Ahead
The first time you go to the state fair, it can be very overwhelming. To be honest, it was my fourth time this year and I was still overwhelmed!
The key to minimizing these feelings is to plan ahead. The official state fair website has a ton of maps for whatever you may be looking for.
If your focus is food, they have maps for all the new food offerings as well as the fan favorites that you see every year.
If you’re more interested in the activities at the fair, they have maps for different events as well.
Because I am mostly interested in the food, I decided to print a map ahead of time and highlight everything I wanted to try.
I referenced this map multiple times on the day that we went. Even though they have colored maps once you get there, it was nice to have one specifically highlighted with things I wanted to do.
Saving Money On Admission
It may not be a feasible option for you but if you can swing going to the state fair on the weekdays, you can save a lot of money on admission.
The best days to go are on Thrifty Thursdays. Not only are you saving on admission, but you can also save money on food!
Because I work for a school district, I am able to get a complimentary ticket every year. Since my son is under the age of two, the only person that we had to pay admission for was my husband. In total, we spent $25 on admission.
When NOT To Go To The State Fair
One year, my husband and I made the mistake of going to the state fair on the day of the Texas vs. Oklahoma football game. Because the Cotton Bowl is right in the middle of the fair, it made the traffic getting into the fair an absolute nightmare.
We stayed on the same street for about two hours before we decided to just turn around and go another day.
So before you go, just make sure it isn’t the same day as this yearly event so that you don’t have to sit in hours of traffic like us!
Parking
We like to park by gate 5 of the fair because it is very easy to get back on the highway and it is very close to Big Tex. I.E. It’s kind of hard to get lost.
The state fair does have official parking, but it’s going to cost more than the unofficial parking around the state fair.
If you’re working on a tighter budget, I’d recommend parking in a lot around the area.
There are surprisingly a lot of options for parking that are very fairly priced. We paid $20, and the “lot” was less than ½ a mile to the entrance of the fair.
Full disclosure, there were some parking lots that we passed where people were trying to open doors to cars. It seemed like they were trying to find one that was unlocked. But as long as you make sure to lock your door, you should be fine.
Coupons
Before I talk about food, you should know that all food is priced in the form of tickets. There are kiosks all around the fair that sell tickets, which you then use to purchase food or rides at the fair.
The tickets come in increments of ten, and are $1 per ticket. So, for example, if you want to buy 50 tickets, it will cost $50.
This system really requires you to think ahead about your purchases, because you may end up with 2-4 tickets, and you’ll feel compelled to spend it on something.
But all of the noteworthy food is going to be more than 4 tickets, so you’ll be forced to buy another sleeve.
There are kiosks that sell tickets in increments of 5, but you’ll have to look for them because they are not by the front entrance.
Food
There are so many food options at the state fair that honestly it can be hard to narrow down what you actually want to eat.
For my family, Fletcher’s Corn Dogs is a must stop. It isn’t the best corn dog I have ever had, but there is just something iconic about a corn dog at a state fair.
A Fletcher’s corn dog in 2022 cost 7 tickets. We also got a lemonade, which cost 5 tickets.
Outside of the corn dog, we tend to stay away from most of the fried food because 1) we can only eat so much fried food without feeling disgusting afterwards and 2) my husband has an egg intolerance, so he avoids all the fried food. And if I’m just eating something by myself, there’s no way I could eat that much after having a corn dog.
This year, my husband and I decided to get some cheesesteaks. We bought two cheesesteaks for 14 tickets and 16 tickets. One of the cheesesteaks had provolone and the other one had cheese whiz, but I am not sure which one was more expensive.
We also bought a pretzel for 6 tickets and a water for 2 tickets.
In total, we spent 50 tickets, or $50.
Conclusion
Overall, I would say this year’s fair experience was a success!
If you’re thinking about visiting DFW, I highly recommend taking a trip during the time the state fair is in town and stopping by for a visit.
Further Research
If you’re looking for more information about the state fair, check out their official site, which they update frequently!
You can find the link here.
NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Have you been to the state fair?
What is your favorite activity/ stop?
Are there any favorite things you like to eat?
Let me know in the comments below!
