The State Fair of Texas is fast approaching! This year’s fair runs from September 26-October 19, and will include the usual Midway games and rides, a hearty greeting from Big Tex, shows and exhibitions, and of course the most delicious fried foods you can imagine. Below are some quick and fun historical facts about our glorious state fair.
- 1886: Approximately 14,000 people attended the grand opening of the first state fair on October 26, 1886
- 1900: Buffalo Bill, Anne Oakley, and Booker T. Washington all performed at the State Fair
- 1909: William Howard Taft is the first US President to visit the State Fair
- 1913: The first auto show takes place at the Fair
- 1918: During WWI the fair was shut down and the U.S. army took over Fair Park and turned it into an aviation boot camp
- 1929: The University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma met at the neutrally situated Fair Park starting the annual game that is still played today
- 1930: Construction on the Cotton Bowl begins
- 1936: President Franklin D. Roosevelt visits the Fair
- 1942: Due to WWII and related transportation restrictions the Fair was closed from 1942-1946
- 1952: Big Tex makes his first appearance at the Texas State Fair
- 1956: The King himself, Elvis Presley, performs at the Fair
- 1964: Fair-goers are introduced to Belgian Waffles
- 1982: King Olav V of Norway cuts the ribbon at the opening of the State Fair
- 1985: The largest ferris wheel in North America at 212 ft., the Texas Star, is installed at the Fair in time for opening day
- 1986: Fair Park is designated a National Historic Landmark
- 1989: The Comet Rollercoaster, a State Fair favorite since 1947, is torn down
- 1994: Pat and Vanna bring the Wheel of Fortune to the Texas State Fair for a week long series of shows
- 2005: Pig races are brought back by popular demand
- 2007: The Joan Brothers perform at the Fair
- 2009: Oprah Winfrey tapes a segment at the State Fair
- 2013: Big Tex celebrates his 60th birthday, only to burn down on one of the last days of the State Fair