Writer calls all to State Fair

Folks, it is that time of year again. Every year, the State Fair of Texas opens its gates for a few weeks of excitement in the form of rides and sideshows. This year's theme is "all aboard for food and fun", and I am quite sure that it will live up to it.

The State Fair of Texas has been around since 1886 and has continually been a source of income for the city of Dallas and has helped college students alike. Annually, the State Fair brings $350 million in revenue to the city. Since 1992, the State Fair of Texas Scholarship program has awarded more than $1.8 million in new and renewed college grants to eligible students.

With such longevity and history, I don't think there are too many people from this area that do not have at least some memories tied to the fair.

I can remember being a kid and going with my grandparents to the fair. All of the sights and sounds of the midway made it a magical place to me. The candy apples, salt water taffy, turkey legs, and corn dogs were never more than a few feet away, and even though there was a good chance they were going to come back up after a ride, I ate them anyway.

Some of my favorite memories of the State Fair are of going into the Cotton Bowl and watching the laser show, riding the awesome rides, and going to the car show. The carnival booths always seemed like a rip off to me, but I would still pay the money and try to shoot out the star with an automatic BB gun that did not shoot straight.

Regardless of how I feel about it, the State Fair will see an excess of 3.5 million visitors this year. It is no wonder so many will make the trip to the fair, with attractions like the "Pirates of the Carribean" high diving act, fried butter or oreos, over 70 rides, and plenty of live bands.

"I usually wait until after the Red River Shootout to go to the fair because it's much less crowded then," Andres Cervantes Jr., a junior at Texas A&M University-Commerce, said. "My favorite part is the food, but I don't think I will be eating the fried butter because I don't want to have a heart attack."

One thing that has changed over the years is the price of things at the fair. When I was a kid, tickets were only 25 cents and parking was only $5. General admission was $7 back then. Nowadays parking is $10-25, general admission is $15, and tickets are 50 cents each. This is one major reason that some people decide not to go to the fair, or find alternate means of entry.

"I am not actually paying to get into the fair this year. Paying $15 just to get in is a little high," Jake Lee, a junior at A&M-Commerce said. "I actually work the fair every other year and get some free passes to go, so it helps."

Whether it is the rides, carnival games, attractions, or the food, a good time is sure to be had at this year's State Fair of Texas. So take the trip out to Dallas and experience the excitement for yourselves.