The State Fair of Texas is back for 24 days of fun in 2021.
To me, the State Fair of Texas brings together all of the best things about our state and allows us to celebrate them together for a few weeks each fall. I’ve been attending the fair with my dad every year since I was born, so it’s full of memories that I treasure. Out of all the fun things to do in Dallas, I think the State Fair is by far the coolest.
Since the 2020 State Fair was sadly canceled, we were all holding our breath waiting for news about what to expect this coming fall. It’s official! The State Fair is back and ready to welcome guests from all over Texas and beyond.
Here’s everything we know about the State Fair of Texas 2021 so far.
The State Fair of Texas 2021 Theme
If you make an annual pilgrimage to Big Tex like I do, then you probably already know that last year the state fair looked a lot different. To keep everyone safe and social distanced, we celebrated from our cars at the Big Tex Fair Food Drive-Thru. It was unique and lots of fun, but it just wasn’t the same as the real State Fair of Texas.
But this year, the fair is back in full swing!
The 2021 theme has been officially been announced as “Howdy, Folks!” named after Big Tex’s iconic expression and celebrating the fact that we can all come together after a long, hard year apart.
The State Fair of Texas website announced the theme and released the corresponding artwork in this press release. My favorite lines from the article:
“If the fairgrounds could talk, they would be bursting at the seams with stories of love, laughter, and togetherness. Every year we are honored to be a place for people to say, “Howdy, Folks!,” to each other, and after a year without the State Fair of Texas, we’re more elated than ever before to be that place again in 2021.”
It makes me a little bit emotional just thinking about it! But enough about feelings, on to the practical stuff.
The 2021 State Fair of Texas Important Dates
This year the fair will run for just over three weeks, from Friday, September 24 to Sunday, October 17.
If you want to enter your arts, crafts, and snacks for a chance to be featured at the fair in the Creative Arts Contest, you’ll need to register online by July 26 and drop off your submissions by August 8. Winners will be announced on August 25.
The 2021 Chevy Main stage Lineup
One thing we know for sure about the 2021 State Fair of Texas is that live music is back!
Bands will perform free concerts every weekend on the Chevy Main Stage just down the road from Big Tex himself. Here is the full lineup:
Clay Walker – Friday, September 24 at 8:30 PM
Dru Hill – Saturday, September 25 at 2:00 PM
Black Pumas – Saturday, September 25 at 8:30 PM
La Energia Norteña – Sunday, September 26 at 5:30 PM
Little Joe Y La Familia – Thursday, September 30 at 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM
Shinyribs – Friday, October 1 at 8:30 PM
Kevin Fowler – Saturday, October 2 at 8:30 PM
Grand Funk Railroad – Sunday, October 3 at 8:30 PM
Mike and the Moonpies – Friday, October 8 at 5:30 PM & 8:30 PM
Jack Ingram – Saturday, October 9 at 6:00 PM
Bill Engvall – Saturday, October 9 at 8:20 PM
Sugar Ray – Sunday, October 10 at 8:30 PM
Le Freak – Monday, October 11 at 3:00 PM & 5:30 PM
Kraig Parker – Friday, October 15 at 5:30 PM & 8:30 PM
Charley Crockett – Saturday, October 16 at 8:30 PM
The Last Bandoleros – Sunday, October 17 at 3:00 PM
The State Fair Rodeo Dates
Giddy up! All new this year are rodeos happening each weekend inside the Coliseum. The rodeos will celebrate our state’s diversity, and each one will have a different theme. Here are is the full schedule:
Cowboys of Color Rodeo: Opening Weekend, Friday, September 24, and Saturday, September 25
Mexican Rodeo Fiesta: Sunday, September 26
State Fair of Texas Youth Rodeo: Wednesday, September 29
State Fair of Texas United Professional Rodeo Association (UPRA) Texas Series Finals: Friday, October 1; Saturday, October 2; and Sunday, October 3.
Bull Buckin’ Weekend: Friday, October 8, and Saturday, October 9.
State Fair of Texas Ranch Rodeo: Friday, October 15, and Saturday, October 16.
The 2021 State Fair of Texas Daily Schedule
The daily schedule for the shows and activities at the State Fair can help you plan out your day before you arrive. Here are the show times for some of the most popular attractions.
Texas Stunt Jam: 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 6:30 PM
Pig Races: 11:00 AM, Noon
Soar Bird Show: 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:30 PM
All Star Dog Show: 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:30 PM
Majesty of the Horse: 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM
Fiesta Marionetas Puppet Show: 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM
Country Roundup Puppet Show: Noon, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM
Chainsaw Carver: 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM
World of Magic: 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM
Mighty Mike 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM
The Midway, The Barns, Petting Zoo, Creative Arts Exhibition, Hall of State Museum, and Discovery Garden are open all day.
Everything New at the State Fair Texas 2021
There are some changes coming to Fair Park this year, and they’re all good ones! Attractions have been added, enhanced, and relocated into bigger spaces. Here are all of the details.
The State Fair of Texas Rodeo
The Fair Park Coliseum (which has housed everything from a marketplace to a petting zoo to a haunted house over the years) will transform into a fully fledged rodeo in 2021!
The rodeo events will take place every weekend and will be free with park admission. The State Fair of Texas website promises a wide range of activities, including “high energy bull riding to wild cow milking.” It sounds like a blast!
Our State Fair Exhibit
Each year, the Texas Hall of State hosts a museum exhibit focused on an interesting aspect of Texas history. Texan cinema, sports icons, and institutions like The Girl Scouts have all been explored with interactive displays and rare artifacts. This year, the museum will focus on the state fair itself and its 135-year history.
Budweiser Clydesdales
The Budweiser Clydesdales were traditionally part of the evening parade and stockyard stables at the fair, but they went on a hiatus for a few years. Now they are back and cuter than ever.
New Petting Zoo Location
The petting zoo (a fan favorite which features goats, piglets, cows, llamas, and more exotic animals like zebras and ostriches) will move to a new location at the Pan Am arena in 2021. This should provide more space for the animals and for the crowds of people who line up to feed their furry friends.
New All-Star Dog Stunt Show Location
Since the petting zoo will be stationed inside the Pan Am arena, it only makes sense that the usual shows there will move to a new location. Now you can watch adorable rescue doggos perform amazing stunts in the Marine Corp Square.
New Pig Races Location
The pig races are another fan favorite moving from the Pan Am Arena. They will be inside the Coliseum this year. If you’ve never watched piglets waddle down a race track at top speed, I highly recommend checking it out!
New Puppet Show
The makers of the popular ¡Fiestas de Marionetas! puppet show have created an all new production called Country Roundup. The show will feature both animatronic and manual puppetry, and will take place on a newly redesigned vintage carousel-style stage.
New Veggie Carver
If you like the pumpkin carver, the chainsaw carver, or the butter sculptor this new attraction will be right up your alley. A traveling vegetable carver is bringing a love show to the GoTexan Pavillion.
New Creative Arts Categories
You’ve seen the quilts, paintings, and photographs displayed across the Creative Arts Building each year. But the 2021 State Fair will include a few new categories: Glue-a-Shoe (recycling old shoes into pieces of artwork), The Great Pumpkin Challenge (decorating real or artificial pumpkins), and Mini Butter Sculpture (a fun-sized version of the famous butter sculpture displayed annually at the fair).
State Fair Picture of the Day
If you love taking pictures for “the gram” as much as I do, you will be stoked about this new interactive experience. Each day during the weeks of the fair, the State Fair of Texas team will choose a “picture of the day” snapped by a fair-goer and share it on all of their social media channels on on their main website. (FYI: My new personal life goal will be to get featured as many times as humanly possible.)
Everything Returning to the State Fair of Texas 2021
Contain Yourself(ie)
Back in 2019, the State Fair of Texas added a mural walk where guests can take pictures to their heart’s content, and I loved it! “Contain Yourself(ie)” gets its name from the recycled shipping containers used as blank canvases for local Texas artists. You can stroll along enjoying their work or snapping selfies with it on the southwest side of the lagoon.
SOAR! World of Birds Show
My dad’s absolute favorite show of all time is coming back to the band shell. Renowned bird trainer and environmental activist Steve Martin will bring parrots, hawks, crows, condors, and more soaring across the stage and famously flying down from a special car on the Texas Star Ferris Wheel.
Whenever I tell people about my favorite things to do at the state fair, it always shocks me how many haven’t heard of this show! It is hands down one of the coolest attractions there, and it raises thousands of dollars for wildlife conservation every year. Go check it out and be amazed!
Mighty Mike Show
If you skipped the fair in 2019, you might not be familiar with this relatively new show. Mighty Mike performs feats of strength with a comedic twist. Watch him bend horseshoes, juggle bowling balls, and grapple with flaming sledgehammers on the Sideshow Stage at Nimitz Circle.
The Backyard Circus
This adorable children’s show was one of the first stops we made each year when I was a kid. The “ringmaster” helps kiddos get dressed up in costumes as lion tamers and tightrope walkers to perform the backyard circus for their parents.
The Chainsaw Carver
Famous chainsaw carver Burt Fleming takes hunks of wood and carves them delicately into beautiful creations using nothing but a chainsaw.
TX Stunt Jam Extreme Sports
Chevrolet Park Plaza will once again host some of the top BMX, skateboard, and scooter talent in the United States (including some Olympic athletes).
¡Fiestas de Marionetas!
This fiesta-themed marionette puppet show is a fan favorite that debuted in 2019. It will be back at the Amphitheater on First Avenue.
World of Magic
Award-winning illusionists will perform magic tricks on the stage inside the Creative Arts Building.
The Starlight Parade
Every night at 7:15 fair goers can enjoy illuminated parade floats, stilt walkers, Miss Texas finalists, and performances by local Texas high school marching bands in the Starlight Parade.
Illumination Sensation
This high energy nighttime show features dancers, acrobats, pyrotechnics, and fireworks on the stages surrounding the Esplanade reflecting pool.
Stay Tuned for More Updates on the 2021 State Fair of Texas
I couldn’t be more excited about all of the new and returning fun experiences coming to the state fair this year. As we learn more about the fair food finalists, the daily show schedule, and the Covid-19 safety measures, I will keep updating this post.
For now, I’ll be daydreaming about my next Fletcher’s Corny Dog!
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