State Fair of Texas First-Timer Guide from ESPN Staff — SkimNews
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- State Fair of Texas runs for 24 days each fall in Dallas, coinciding with the Texas-Oklahoma Red River Rivalry game at the Cotton Bowl in early October.
- Fletcher's Original Corny Dogs were invented by brothers Neil and Carl Fletcher at the Texas State Fair in 1942, originally selling for 15 cents each, with the stand located a few yards from the Cotton Bowl entrance.
- The Texas Star Ferris wheel stands 212 feet tall, is billed as the largest traditional Ferris wheel in North America since opening in 1985, and costs 20 coupons for a ride that overlooks the Cotton Bowl crowds.
- Big Tex, the fair's 55-foot-tall cowboy, is a must-photograph landmark, though ESPN's Dave Wilson advises strategizing the angle and finding a friendly stranger to capture the full frame.
- New foods debuting at this year's fair include the Spicy Carbonara Ramen Korean Corn Dog and the Dirty Dr Pepper Do-Si-Do Float, per ESPN staffers Eli Lederman and J.J. Post.
- Eli Lederman advises pacing food and drink consumption to spare both wallet and stomach, noting that strategic planning around long lines is essential for first-time fairgoers making the trip for the game.
Why it matters: The State Fair is inseparable from the Red River Rivalry experience — Fletcher's Corny Dogs trace back to 1942, and the 212-foot Texas Star offers a bird's-eye view of the burnt orange and crimson masses outside the Cotton Bowl. For thousands of first-time attendees, skipping the fair means missing the cultural ritual that veteran ESPN staff call as essential to the weekend as the football itself.
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