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
Dallas, TX
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Related
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.”
… 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 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.
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.
Related
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 shot at the balloon dirt game during State Fair Of Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
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!
FC Dallas returns home this weekend looking to build off last week’s road result as Real Salt lake comes to town for another important Western Conference matchup. With the schedule beginning to pile up before the summer World Cup break in June, grabbing points at Toyota Stadium feels more important than ever right now.
RSL arrives with one of the more balanced attacks in the conference and enough pace to punish mistakes in transition. For Dallas, this one is about staying organized defensively, controlling the midfield battle, and continuing to find consistency in the final third. If those three items can be checked off this weekend, there’s a real opportunity to keep the momentum moving in the right direction before a long summer road trip.
Let’s dive into some notes, predictions, and more.
TL;DR: Match Preview
Quick hits before kickoff.
- Score prediction: FC Dallas 2 – 1 Real Salt Lake
- Key player to watch: Petar Musa – To make the World Cup roster later this month for Croatia, Musa has to continue scoring here and guide the team to a big home win.
- Why this game matters: The next two are at home and after that there are nine straight road games. Dallas has to bank some points at home while they can before the long summer road trip.
FC Dallas Notes:
All-time vs RSL: FC Dallas holds a 24-15-13 all-time regular-season record against RSL. Dallas has scored 79 goals against Salt Lake. RSL has scored 63.
Home record vs RSL: Dallas has a solid 14-2-8 at home against RSL in regular season meetings. Dallas has scored 44 home goals against RSL. Salt Lake has scored 23 goals at Toyota Stadium versus Dallas. Dallas last won at home versus RSL on April 16, 2023. Jesús Ferreira and Bernanrd Kamungo scored for Dallas that night.
Homegrown clock: Homegrown keeper Michael Collodi was the only HGP earning minutes this season until Nolan Norris joined him on the field. Collodi has played the full 90 in each match, while Norris has been in and out of the lineup. Norris also has one goal on the season. Caleb Swann also made his debut off the bench in New York. Together, they have played 1595 minutes. To add more perspective here, Dallas HGPs only accounted for 1683 minutes in 2025.
What to Watch For: FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake FC Dallas returns to Toyota Stadium riding momentum from a historic road win in New York, but RSL arrives with one of the most dangerous young attacks in MLS. Here’s what to watch when the Burn host the Claret-and-Cobalt on Saturday.
Notable season stats:
- FCD is 7th in crosses in MLS with 144.
- The Burn are 6th in total distance covered in MLS with 286.24 km (800 miles).
- FCD is third in MLS in aerial challenges won with 171.
- FC Dallas is 9th in MLS in xG with 18.81.
- FCD is 8th in MLS in shot efficiency with 1.19.
- Musa is 4th in MLS in xG with 7.77. He also ranks tied for 4th in MLS in shots with 40.
Potential FC Dallas Lineup:
With another three-games in seven days stretch coming up, Eric Quill will likely go with as strong of a lineup as possible in these next two home games.
Formation: 3-4-3
Projected Starting XI
Availability & Disciplinary Report
⚽
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended with next yellow card: none
Suspended with next two yellow cards: Osaze Urhoghide, Nolan Norris
🗒️
Availability Report
Season-ending injury list: Kaka Scabin
Out: Anderson Julio (Lower leg), Bernard Kamungo (lower leg)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Enes Sali (Al-Riyadh), Malachi Molina (Nashville SC), Geovane Jesus (North Texas SC), Enzo Newman (North Texas SC)
Unavailable (off-roster): Daniel Baran, Jaidyn Contreras
International duty: none
Real Salt Lake Notes:
Key player for RSL: Diego Luna
Scouting Real Salt Lake: What FC Dallas Needs to Know 🔎 A detailed scouting report on RSL ahead of FC Dallas’ 2026 showdown, breaking down formations, key players, tendencies, and tactical edges.
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended on next yellow card: none
Availability Report
Out: Jesus Barea (knee), Emeka Eneli (knee), Ari Piol (Achilles)
Questionable: Juan Jose Arias (groin), Justen Glad (groin), Lukas Engel (hip)
International duty: none
Big game this week for FC Dallas. Before we get into it, members have the full scouting report, projected lineups, and injury report. If you want to go into Matchday actually knowing what to watch for, now’s the time.
→ Join Big D Soccer
A mystery trust bought one of the most expensive homes in Texas this week — just months after buying another multimillion dollar property nearby.
The Lost River Trust bought the mansion at 4815 Saint Johns Drive in Highland Park from Dallas entrepreneurs Melbourne and Jamie O’Banion on May 5, according to county records. The final sale price is undisclosed, but the sellers had the home listed for $24.9 million at the time.
The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home spans 11,433 square feet on a 0.6-acre lot, according to the listing. It was built by Mark Molthan and designed by Tom Weber. They listed the home on March 23 for about $2,200 per square foot.
Allie Beth Allman, founder of the eponymous brokerage, represented the sellers. Damon Williamson with The Agency represented the buyer, according to Redfin.
Just two Dallas homes last year sold with listing prices higher than $25 million, though both sold for well below what they asked. The trust of the late Fortress Investment Group CEO Josh Pack sold his former home at 6601 Hunters Glen Road for $30.5 million after asking $35 million, and manufacturer Guinn Crousen sold his home at 4000 Euclid Avenue for $25.5 million after asking $33 million.
Only six homes in Texas are asking a higher price, according to Zillow. Two effectively tie with the home on Saint Johns Drive: a spec mansion on Strait Lane that’s asking $25 million, and another new construction at 4 Lana Lane in Houston that’s asking $25.5 million.
The Lost River Trust bought another luxury home just six months ago. On Nov. 14, the trust purchased the home at 3709 Euclid Avenue, a four-bedroom, six-bathroom, 5,845-square-foot house that was asking $14 million when it withdrew from the market in September. It’s about half a mile south of the home on Saint Johns Drive.
Melbourne O’Banion is the CEO of Dallas-based tech startup Bestow, which produces software for life insurance companies. His wife Jamie O’Banion is the founder of Dallas-based cosmetics company BeautyBio.
The Crespi Estate at 5619 Walnut Hill Lane, listed by the Cox Family for $64 million, remains the most expensive home on the market in Texas.
Read more
Dallas entrepreneurs Jamie and Melbourne O’Banion list Highland Park mansion for $25M
Estate of late Dallas plastic surgeon Sam Hamra sells historic Highland Park teardown to mystery buyer
Robert Vaughn buys University Park spec mansion that asked $26M
DALLAS – Thunderstorms will roll through parts of North Texas on Friday. Thankfully, none should be severe. Mother’s Day could be a different story.
Friday Forecast
According to FOX 4 Weather Meteorologist Berkeley Taylor, a cluster of thunderstorms will work their way east across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on Friday morning.
Everything is well below severe limits, just with lots of lightning!
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will move in and out through the day on Friday. Coverage is about 20%.
An isolated strong storm or two can’t be ruled out, but the overall threat is low.
Temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s for the morning, before climbing into the 80s by the afternoon.
Weekend Forecast
Saturday will look similar, with even lower coverage expected.
Sunday presents the best chance to find rain and storms – about 50% as a cold front moves through North Texas.
North Texas is under a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather. The biggest concerns will be with wind and hail.
Timing-wise, the front looks to move through in the afternoon/evening.
7-Day Forecast
Once the front is south of North Texas on Mother’s Day, the rain should come to an end, and it will stay dry into next week.
Temperatures will start to warm into the upper 80s and low 90s by midweek next week.
The Source: The information in this story is from the FOX 4 Weather team and National Weather Service.
-
Fitness3 minutes agoStrategic Exercise Techniques to Maximize Mood Elevation – The Boca Raton Tribune
-
Movie Reviews15 minutes ago1986 Movie Reviews – Dangerously Close, Fire with Fire, Last Resort, and Short Circuit | The Nerdy
-
World27 minutes agoTop 50 English-language news sites in the world in April: Just three newsbrands grow traffic in past month
-
News33 minutes agoThe New Harvard Trend? Getting Punched in the Face.
-
Politics39 minutes agoWhich Trump Tariffs Are in Place, in the Works or Ruled Illegal
-
Business45 minutes agoChina’s Exports and Imports Set Records in April Amid High Energy Costs
-
Science51 minutes agoVideo: Pentagon Releases U.F.O. Files
-
Health57 minutes agoHantavirus Vaccines and Treatments Are in the Pipeline