The Next Best Thing, A Virtual State Fair of Texas

DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) — The State Fair of Texas has announced that for the first time ever, folks can enjoy some of the iconic sights and tastes of the State Fair of Texas from the comfort of their own home.

According to a press release, the State Fair of Texas’s mission is to celebrate all things Texan, and its State Fair from Home series will continue to do just that.

State Fair of Texas from Home will be a curated collection of fun-filled virtual events celebrating Texas, downloadable Fair activities for Little Lone Stars, and all-new digital and video content, allowing folks to celebrate all their favorite traditions at the Fair from your home.

Fair Food Fun

If food is typically your first stop at the Fair, step right up, you are going to love this tasty series.

• Big Tex Cooking School: Learn how to make some of your favorite fried delicacies at home from the experts themselves – with the items already in your pantry! This weekly video series will feature a new State Fair of Texas concessionaire each week, walking you through how to make your fried food fix from home. Episodes will be released weekly, starting Monday, September 21.

Taste of Texas

Celebrate Texas agriculture through a series of virtual wine and cheese tastings, led by industry experts.

• Blue Ribbon Selection Tasting Series: The Fair has teamed up with Texas wine experts to curate a mixed case of wines that showcase the variety, quality, and value of Texas wines. Join the weekly virtual discussions and tastings with wine makers to learn about the Texas wine industry. The virtual tastings are free, and you do not have to purchase the wine to participate. Registration for the virtual tastings will open on Monday, September 21.
• Texas Cheese Tasting with Scardello Artisan Cheese: The Fair has teamed up with Scardello Artisan Cheese to explore Texas cheeses through a series of virtual tastings. Participants can sign up for the class, pick up the selected cheese and accompaniments the day of the class at Scardello’s location in Dallas, and tune in at 6 p.m. on Facebook. Classes are $30 per person and will be held on October 8 and October 15.

The Fair Online

Although we will greatly miss seeing each other in person this year, we curated content to bring some of the most beloved elements of the Fair right to your living room screens.

• Online Texas Auto Show: Celebrate the highest attended auto show in the nation – virtually. See all the new cars manufacturers have to offer. Coming soon to TexasAutoShow.BigTex.com.
• Online Shopping Guide: Shop all your favorite exhibitors with our online shopping guide and get deals from the comfort of your couch!
• Discover the Errol McKoy Greenhouse and Big Tex Urban Farms: Big Tex Urban Farms is a mobile agriculture system in the heart of Fair Park that provides fresh produce to the surrounding South Dallas community, which is known as a food desert. In this virtual tour, you’ll learn about hydroponic farming and mobile agriculture – all within the Errol McKoy Greenhouse, located on the Midway.
• Explore Creative Arts: See the crafty winners of the 2020 arts and crafts contests! This tour will be revealed on BigTex.com and the State Fair of Texas’ YouTube channel following the announcement of the winners on Friday, September 25.
• Ride the Texas Star: Take a virtual ride on the iconic Texas Star Ferris wheel. Bonus points: you can take a ride, even if you’re scared of heights!
• Ride the Top o’ Texas Tower: Explore the Dallas Skyline from 500 feet in the air with this virtual ride. Fun fact: did you know the Top o’ Texas Tower is the Guinness World Record holder for “Most Slender Tower”?

Kids Fair Activities

Little Lone Stars have been hard at work with their schooling, but Big Tex wants to make sure even the littlest Fair fans can celebrate the State Fair of Texas this year!

• Create-your-own Fair Kits: These kits include everything you need to host your own creative arts and livestock contests, and even have a bit of Midway fun!
• Little Lone Stars Activity Packets: The inaugural year of the Big Tex Little Lone Stars Club kicked off earlier this summer, and you can relive all your favorite Fair-related activities, coloring sheets, and fun facts about the Lone Star State and Big Tex himself!
• State Fair Digital Puzzles: You can piece together some Fair fun with these digital puzzles! The Fair used the theme artwork from the years 2015 through 2020 for the puzzles, which makes for a perfect trip down Fair memory lane.

Virtual Fair Contests

We are excited to have additional new virtual Creative Arts contests for 2020 and you butter believe we’re excited to see the creativity Texans will carve up this year.

• Virtual Creative Arts Contests: Announced in August, a total of seven contests – four arts and crafts and three cooking – will be held for the first time ever. Just create your entry, snap a photo and submit your entry for the 2020 Virtual Creative Arts Contest. From cake and cookie decorating to nail art and decorated mask, these contests let you express your Texas pride and passion for the Fair. Registration begins September 21, ending October 4. Winners will be announced October 9.
• Virtual Photo Contest: To celebrate the amazing photos Fair fans posts on their social channels each year, the State Fair of Texas is introducing a NEW photo contest. Submit your favorite photos from several categories and Fair fans will vote on their favorite. The contest will open for submissions on September 15 and run through October 4. Voting will begin on October 5 and end on October 18. The winners of the contest will be announced on October 23.

Fair Park

Fair Park has been the home of the State Fair of Texas since the very beginning, back in 1886. Fair Park is steeped in history and is one of the most important collections of art deco buildings in the nation. Now is the perfect time to tour Fair Park and its resident organizations.

• The History of Fair Park Video Series: Explore the history and architecture of Fair Park with Willis Winters, architect, planner, and preservationist.
• Dallas Historical Society and the Hall of State: The Dallas Historical Society calls the Hall of State home. Discover their virtual exhibit, “Women’s Suffrage in Texas”.
• African American Museum: The African American Museum is the only museum of its kind in the southwest United States that preserves and displays African American artistic, cultural, and historical materials. Explore their offering of virtual courses.
• Texas Discovery Gardens: Say “howdy!” to some butterflies! Explore the Texas Discovery Gardens, which is home to many natural wonders, including the Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium.
• Dallas Summer Musicals: DSM has been presenting and promoting excellence in live musical theater since 1941. View their revised 2020/2021 season here.
• WRR 101.1 FM: WRR is a radio station that broadcasts 24 hours of classical music a day. WRR was the first licensed broadcast station in Texas and is currently the second oldest operating radio station in the United States. Learn more about WRR’s history here.

If you’re not able to join us for the Big Tex Fair Food Drive-Thru, the Fair from Home series aims to make you feel like you’re at the Fair, celebrating all things Texan. For more information on the different sections, and to register for virtual tastings like the Blue Ribbon Selection Tasting series, please visit BigTex.com/fair-from-home. We hope to celebrate the joy of the Fair with you – whether you celebrate with Fair from Home or come see us for the Big Tex Fair Food Drive-Thru, held in Fair Park during the originally anticipated dates of the 2020 State Fair of Texas, September 25 through October 18. For more information on the Drive-Thru event, visit BigTex.com/DriveThru.

Key Dates for the 2020 State Fair of Texas from Home Experience

Information provided by the State Fair of Texas