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First time at the State Fair? 2 newbies see if Dallas attraction is worth the hype

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First time at the State Fair? 2 newbies see if Dallas attraction is worth the hype


Two transplants from New York to North Texas — who happen to be editors at The Dallas Morning News — visited the State Fair of Texas to see if the Most Texan Place on Earth really is a big deal.

Bobby Caina Calvan, deputy government accountability editor, and business editor Javier E. David explored the State Fair. Here’s what they saw, felt and ate.

The Texas State Fair is an annual tradition that draws fans from near and far along with families who rely on the event to sustain their livelihoods

Business editor Javier E. David

A Brooklyn resident for nearly 30 years, Javier grew up on Long Island, went to high school in Miami and attended Long Island University. He moved to Dallas in 2024.

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The word “nostalgia” means a lot of things to a lot of people, but it’s the perfect way to describe the State Fair. That’s what it triggered for me as I navigated the excited crowds, bright lights, gravity-defying rides, fried foods with enough calories to make a cardiologist swoon — and of course Big Tex.

Let’s face it: If you’ve been to one amusement park, you’ve been to them all, and with a few notable exceptions, the grub and mechanized distractions are mostly mirror images of multiple other locations — regardless of which one you’re in.

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Dallas Morning News business editor Javier E. David shows his souvenir t-shirt during State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas.

Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer

And yet, I found myself captivated by the State Fair’s vibe, even though I really don’t like crowds, and it wasn’t long before I realized why.

The color, the noise, the playfulness and promise of a good time for all. …It was very reminiscent of my childhood spent in local fairs and amusement parks. The preponderance of adults also reminded me of the environment one finds in the middle of a certain desert city in a certain Western State. Yes, the State Fair of Texas really is equal parts Disney and Las Vegas.

Gripes about the event have certainly gotten a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Even if you are comped the price of admission, a day at the fair will still cost a LOT of money. Tickets for all that food and entertainment really adds up, and it’s hard to justify the expense in an era when all of us are feeling the pinch of inflation on our wallets.

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Dallas Morning News  business editor Javier E. David slides down the ramp during the State...

Dallas Morning News business editor Javier E. David slides down the ramp during the State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas.

Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer

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Visits to the State Fair will probably involve raiding the virtual piggy bank, but it’s hard to deny that if you do decide to go, and if you decide it’s worth spending the money, you will undoubtedly have a good time. This old curmudgeon certainly did.

Bobby Caina Calvan, deputy government accountability editor

Bobby Caina Calvan, relocated to Dallas after working several years for the Associated Press, based in their New York office.

I last visited a state fair decades ago in California’s capital of Sacramento. Before that it was maybe a decade earlier in my home state of Hawaii.

Truth be told, I’m not a fan of crowds and icky-sticky cotton candy. Carnival food is not my “thang.”

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… Unless it’s a corn dog — although just hours earlier, I was gently and ribbingly chided when I mistakenly referred to a CORNY dog a mere corn dog.

Dallas Morning News Deputy Editor for Government Accountability, Bobby Caina Calvan, takes a...

Dallas Morning News Deputy Editor for Government Accountability, Bobby Caina Calvan, takes a selfie with the Big Tex during State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas.

Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer

To my surprise, a corny dog is like no other. Throwing my caution against superlatives to the wind, I dare say it was the best corn breaded hot dog on a stick I’ve had.

Maybe I should have also searched for a crab and mozzarella arancini, which got the Big Tex award for savory bites.

I moseyed over to a cotton candy stand and talked the nice woman into giving me several extra swirls of wispy sugar. It was sweet delight at first; but soon my body shuddered mildly. There is such a thing as too much.

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My colleague is absolutely right: The State Fair, when you’re a grownup, is all about nostalgia – from corny dogs, cotton candy, and the midway — where a sucker is born every minute.

A Ferris wheel ride for $16, and the pocket-emptying games that must be rigged, right? I thought so until I won a teddy bear by popping three consecutive balloons. My luck at sinking basketballs, even with my perfect shooting form, netted me zilch.

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On a Tuesday night, the crowds were relatively sparse. There were lines here and there, including at the Ferris wheel, where you could hear a grumble or two, as well as the faint sounds of fairgoers coughing up their bucks. At $16 a ride, even ole’ Big Tex might have second thoughts. The sky tram has fewer people in line and gives you a grand view of the fairgrounds.

This curmudgeon is also no fan of carnival rides, but I gave in to nostalgia when I trudged (OK, wheezed) up a metal stairwell to breeze down the Fast Trax Slide, an eight-lane chute.

Dallas Morning News Deputy Editor for Government Accountability, Bobby Caina Calvan, takes a...

Dallas Morning News Deputy Editor for Government Accountability, Bobby Caina Calvan, takes a shot at the balloon dirt game during State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas.

Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer

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There is a lot to take in at the fair — certainly too much for a single visit. There are farm exhibits, a petting zoo and agricultural displays.

But before the fair ends, I hope to take in my first Texas rodeo. More importantly, I need to get myself to the pig races.

Forget the rides, games and cotton candy (I’ll keep the corny dogs, thank you) — but what can be more amusing than watching piglets race around a track?

Rodeo and pig races — you won’t find either in New York City. A state fair can’t be any more Texas than that!

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Dallas Trinity FC aims for largest crowd in team history vs. Club America at State Fair

With an estimated 125,000 fairgoers expected that day, DTFC co-founder and CEO Jim Neil sees a golden opportunity to draw new supporters and amplify the team’s growing momentum.

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The heart at Gate 5: Meet the woman who’s greeted State Fair goers for 35 years

Faye Thomas from South Dallas has worked Gate 5 at the State Fair of Texas scanning tickets and welcoming families with a smile

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Letters to the Editor — Closed primaries, Dallas City Hall, renewable energy, State Fair

Readers don’t support closed primaries; advocate to repair, not destroy Dallas City Hall; support renewable energy; and talk about State Fair prices.

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A food guide for the 2025 State Fair of Texas

Want to eat well at the fair? Here’s everything you need to know.



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Dallas, TX

FOX’s Kasper Schmeichel compares England to Dallas Cowboys, so who are their other sports analogs?

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FOX’s Kasper Schmeichel compares England to Dallas Cowboys, so who are their other sports analogs?


FOX Soccer analyst Kasper Schmeichel came prepared for this year’s World Cup on American soil.

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The former Danish goalkeeper may not be from around these parts, but that didn’t stop him from dropping an eerily accurate comparison between two overconfident but long-suffering sports programs.

With England and Croatia warming up inside AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Schmeichel decided he would roast two fanbases with one stone, comparing the Cowboys to the Three Lions with a hilarious one-liner.

Funny, but also painfully true if you’re a supporter of either team.

COWBOYS LEGEND DIGS DEEP INTO THE TEAM’S MISSING ‘FIBER’ THAT’S RESULTED IN SUPER BOWL DROUGHT

I made a comparison last week between the English national team and Notre Dame, but Schmeichel got me thinking, who are the sports analogs to England from the four major North American leagues (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA)?

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Today, I will be doing exactly that, including giving a slightly better NFL comp than the Cowboys (shocking, I know).

Without further ado, let’s piss off our neighbors from across the pond.

FROM 4 STRAIGHT SUPER BOWL LOSSES TO JOSH ALLEN’S PATRICK MAHOMES PROBLEM, BILLS MIGHT BE CURSED

NFL – Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears helmets are displayed before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., on Sept. 28, 2025. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)

While the Dallas Cowboys are a fine comparison for the English national soccer team, I think I can do one better.

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Schmeichel mentioned that England “won it once and have never stopped talking about it,” and although the second part of that statement applies to both, the Cowboys are five-time Super Bowl champions, having won it most recently in January 1996, a good three decades after England.

If you really want a team that more accurately mirrors the hard luck of the English, it would have to be the Chicago Bears.

3 HISTORIC NFL FRANCHISES FIND THEMSELVES IN SAME BOAT SINCE TURN OF THE CENTURY

They have one Super Bowl win to their name, which came 40 years ago, and really don’t have much else to show for it.

Also, having lived in the DFW area for the better part of a decade, I can confidently say Cowboys fans are a little too arrogant and cocky to be compared to the English.

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Sure, England will say things like “it’s coming home,” but they are far more self-deprecating and aware of their faults, even nihilistic in some cases.

The Bears hang onto their history because they know things will inevitably go bad for them on the biggest stage.

Speaking of which…

NHL – Toronto Maple Leafs

Spencer Carbery, assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, looks on from the bench during the third period against the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont., on April 14, 2022. (Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs actually line up with England more closely than either fanbase would like to admit.

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While the Leafs have a litany of Stanley Cups to their name, their most recent win was back in 1967, less than a full year after England won their first and only World Cup.

As far as expectations go, both constantly go into their respective tournaments with the weight of the world on their shoulders, only to come crashing down in the most horrific ways imaginable.

For the Leafs, it comes in the form of blowing big leads in the playoffs, while English fans and players alike can’t even hear the words “penalty kicks” without having a mental breakdown.

England and Toronto are both long-suffering cities, but their fans keep showing up expecting a different outcome.

Insanity? No, just sports fandom.

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NBA – New York Knicks

Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates a three-point basket with Karl-Anthony Towns during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

This one would have been an even better comparison if the New York Knicks hadn’t gone and won the whole damn thing this year, but these two sports teams are still eerily similar.

WHY THE KNICKS, DISRESPECTED BUT CLAWING BACK, TOUCHED A RAW NERVE IN NEW YORK CITY AND ULTIMATELY THE COUNTRY

Think of the Knicks’ 2026 NBA Championship run as a window into what it would look like if England captured a World Cup (on American soil, no less).

Before this year, the Knicks famously had not won a Larry O’Brien trophy in over 50 years, yet they were still considered one of the “blue bloods” of the NBA.

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Decades of heartache didn’t change that; it only made their fans more insufferable, but their triumph earlier this month in the NBA Finals exorcised all those demons.

THE ATHLETIC BEWILDERINGLY CELEBRATES ‘ZOHRAN MAMDANI SPORTS SUMMER’ AFTER NEW YORK KNICKS WIN NBA FINALS

A win in the World Cup Finals would probably do the same for England fans, as you could probably feel that sigh of relief from the other side of the Atlantic.

MLB – New York Mets

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto reacts after scoring a run on an RBI double by infielder Bo Bichette against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on April 2, 2026. (Robert Edwards/Imagn Images)

Hello again, New York.

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The Big Apple certainly has its fair share of winners, but it also has plenty of franchises that are aching to make a trip back down the Canyon of Heroes, none more so than the Mets.

Year after year, the Mets are near the top of MLB in terms of spending, with little to show for their efforts.

WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE

They won a World Series back in 1986 and have been chasing that high ever since.

The common thread between England and the Mets (along with all the other teams on this list) is expectations relative to results, and it seems like the Mets are sort of a Schrödinger’s baseball franchise in that regard, expected to both compete for a World Series with their high-priced talent and flame out in spectacular fashion all the same.

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FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE

England always has flashy players heading into World Cup play, but the results haven’t been there, and they’ve often been sent home in brutal fashion, offering a great parallel to the Mets’ clockwork-like midsummer swoons and late-season meltdowns.



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Dallas, TX

Dallas Police Seize Glock Switch in Deep Ellum

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Dallas Police Seize Glock Switch in Deep Ellum


Guerrocastillo was taken into custody without incident and charged with Prohibited Weapon, a third-degree felony; Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, a class A misdemeanor; Possession of Marijuana under two ounces, a class B misdemeanor; and Public Intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.

“Foot patrols are a foundational part of policing, and our Deep Ellum Task Force officers are making great arrests and providing increased security by walking a beat,” said Deputy Chief Devon Palk, who is commander of the Central Patrol Group. “Having our officers on foot, on horseback, and in our new Polaris utility vehicle puts officers exactly where we need them during peak hours in the area.”





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Dallas, TX

Croatia fans rock cowboy style in Dallas parade ahead of match with England

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Croatia fans rock cowboy style in Dallas parade ahead of match with England


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Thousands of Croatia supporters turned downtown Dallas into a sea of red and white ahead of Croatia’s World Cup group-stage match against England. The parade featured cowgirls and groups in horse-drawn wagons and a 100-metre Croatian flag.



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