Free for Harvey Victims

Hurricane evacuees get free admission at Dallas entertainment venues

Multiple Dallas-area museums and entertainment venues are offering free admission to Hurricane Harvey evacuees staying at Dallas shelters, through Labor Day weekend and beyond. Here's a look at offers announced so far.

TITAS Presents and AT&T Performing Arts Center are making up to 300 tickets available for MOMIX: Opus Cactus on Thursday, August 31. The family-friendly performance begins at 8 pm at Winspear Opera House.
On Saturday, September 2, Dallas rock band Colt & the Old 45s is making tickets available for its 7:30 pm performance at Wyly Theatre. Free parking also will be offered for both shows. The evacuees will get vouchers at the four official city shelters in Dallas, including the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Samuell Grand Recreation Center, Tommie Allen Recreation Center, and Walnut Hill Recreation Center.
Nasher Sculpture Center is offering free admission for as long as Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center remains open as a shelter. Visitors should mention the offer at the front desk for free admission.
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is offering free admission through September 30. Families who reside in the affected region can receive complimentary tickets for up to seven family members. Proof of residency and photo ID are required. For a list of qualifying counties and other details, go to perotmuseum.org/discounts.
The Dallas Arboretum is offering free admission through September 4. Passes will be distributed at area shelters, but visitors can also show their ID at the gate for admission.
The Dallas Zoo is offering free admission through September 4. Passes are available at area shelters, but visitors can also show their ID at the gate for admission.
All Hawaiian Falls waterparks are offering free admission, September 2-4. Visitors need to show a valid ID with a coastal-area address at the front gate to get in free. Hawaiian Falls has locations in Garland, The Colony, Mansfield, Roanoke, and Waco.
SMU is offering free tickets to its season opening football game against Stephen F. Austin State University at Ford Stadium on September 2. Fans must fill out this online form to secure tickets, which will be available at will call. Requests will be filled as long as inventory lasts, and those fans also will get a voucher for a complimentary hot dog and soda.
Dallas Comedy House, which will put on a special fundraising show on September 3, is offering free admission through the month of September.
The Meadows Museum on the SMU campus is offering free admission through September 30. Visitors need to show a photo ID from one of the affected counties at the box office for free admission for up to seven family members.

In addition, Uber is offering free rides to and from Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center for evacuees. Airbnb has also activated its Disaster Response Program, which works with area hosts to offer free housing for evacuees.

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is offering free admission for evacuees through September.

Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas

Photo by Mark Knight Photography

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is offering free admission for evacuees through September.

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Big Tex Wrap-Up

State Fair of Texas bounces back with 2.1 million attendees in 2026

Crowds around Big Tex at 2026 State Fair of Texas

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

Almost 2.1 people attended the 2026 State Fair of Texas, up from 2025.

After experiencing its lowest total attendance numbers in seven years in 2025, the State Fair of Texas bounced back in 2026, welcoming nearly 2.1 million visitors, according to an official release.

That represents a slight bump up from the 2,020,064 that came through the gates in 2025. Both numbers are still down significantly from the highs of 2019 and 2022, when more than 2.5 million people attended the State Fair.

The uptick in attendance could be attributed to the concerted effort to make the Fair more affordable this year, including lowering ticket prices, making games and rides cheaper, expanding days for free student tickets, and offering a free day of parking.

As usual, the busiest day of the State Fair was Saturday, October 10, the date of the annual Texas-Oklahoma football game, with more than 203,000 fairgoers in attendance, including the 92,100 fans in the Cotton Bowl.

The average attendance for the other 23 days of the fair was around 82,500.

“We are grateful to every fairgoer who joined us this year, as well as the team members, vendors, and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this season possible," said State Fair of Texas President Mitchell Glieber in a statement. "As a nonprofit organization, a successful Fair helps fuel our work throughout the year, and we are proud of the impact we continue to make through agriculture, education, and community.”

Other notable numbers from the 2026 State Fair of Texas include:

An all-new look for Big Tex, standing 55 feet tall, sporting a 95-gallon Resistol cowboy hat, a Cavender’s shirt measuring 245 by 192 inches, Levi’s 501 jeans measuring 380 inches wide by 290 inches long, size 96 Lucchese boots, and a Shiner belt buckle.
The unveiling of an official State of Texas Historical Marker from the Texas Historical Commission for Big Tex, honoring his enduring legacy as a beloved Texas icon and symbol of State Fair tradition.
An estimated 110,655 pounds of food were collected and donated to the North Texas Food Bank.
More than 28,600 members of the military and their families visited the Fair over 24 days, utilizing the special discount offer in gratitude for their service.
Approximately 500,000 prizes, valued at an estimated $1.8 million, were won at the State Fair Midway, enough stuffed animals and prizes to fill approximately 90 semi-trucks.
Approximately 450,000 Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs were enjoyed by fairgoers.
The State Fair of Texas is estimated to generate more than $600 million in economic activity each year, serving as one of the most impactful annual events in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

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