State Fair of Texas features 73 rides, 70 games, and more than 200 food locations

DALLAS – Saturday marks the opening weekend for the State Fair of Texas. 2.5 million people are expected to attend over the next few weeks. 

From food to rides, the fair has all kinds of new things this year.

It’s a well-oiled machine for Pizza By the Giant Slice owner Tom Grace.

“We’ve been doing this for 35 years at the State Fair of Texas,” Grace said. “We have six locations we operate out here every year.”

Grace’s son and about 65 workers keep the dough flying and customers happy.

“The State Fair of Texas breeds crazy thoughts and crazy ideas of food. People love to come out here and take pictures with the food they’re getting every year,” Grace said.

The new crazy food idea for Grace this year is Oktoberfest pizza.

“We start off with this base sauce of Alfredo, which is spicy mustard infused. It’s a nice little bite and not too much for those folks who may fear that spicy mustard, and then we have some German sausage, sliced thin like a pepperoni. We’ll put some peppers and potatoes on it,” Grace said.

The Oktoberfest pizza is topped with sauerkraut. For $15, you’ll get a huge slice.

“What we have here at our Gulf Coast Grill on Cotton Bowl Plaza is caramel macchiato fritters,” owner Clint Probst said.

The fritters are one staple bringing in the dough for Probst.

“If we have a really, really good fair and have a fried food winner, this is a semi-finalist not a winner, but if we have a fried food winner you could almost make doctor or dentist money out of just working the fair,” Probst said.

Rides are another big attraction at the fair.

“Oh man! We just did a ton of rides! I think a few more rides are coming up, maybe a few games, and a visit to Big Tex,” fair attendee Tyler Deakins said.

This is the third year the Deakins family has gone to the fair, including five-year-old Emma, who knows what her favorite ride is.

“Yes, the crazy mouth one. Whoo!” Emma Deakins said.

The State Fair of Texas includes 73 rides on the Midway, according to Senior Vice President of Operations Rusty Fitzgerald.

“We have kiddie rides for kids, we have the family-type rides, and then we have one of the more extreme rides, so you can pick your poison on that one,” Fitzgerald said.

One of the new, extreme rides is the Hip Hop, which CBS News Texas reporter Dawn White went on with Fitzgerald.

“If you’ve got a little bit of skill, and you really want to have fun and be a little wild, this is the ride to do it,” Fitzgerald said.

You still have time to have fun on the rides or 70 games. The fair continues through Oct. 20. It also features more than 200 vendor locations.