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    Howdy Folks

    Top 10 ways to have the ultimate State Fair of Texas date night

    CultureMap Create
    Sep 20, 2017 | 1:18 pm

    With its twinkling lights, heart-pounding rides, and ample opportunity for snuggling up with your SO, there's no more quintessential Lone Star date than the State Fair of Texas. Even LeeAnne Locken agrees — the Real Housewife of Dallas got engaged at the Fair on a recent episode of the Bravo reality show.

    The Fair runs September 29 through October 22 at Fair Park in Dallas. Whether it's your first time visiting or your fiftieth, plan a date around these must-do activities:

    1. Take a selfie with Big Tex
    Since 1952, the giant cowboy has been welcoming folks to the Fair. Give him a wave back as you pass by, or better yet, stop and snap a picture with the big man. Use forced perspective to your advantage if you want to make it look like you're giving Big Tex a high-five or a smooch.

    2. Ride the swan boats in the Leonhardt Lagoon
    Escape from the crowds with your sweetie by pedaling for a while in these picturesque boats, which seat two adults and offer another unique backdrop for that perfect State Fair picture.

    3. Stroll through the Midway and admire the lights
    You'll find dozens of try-your-luck games and more than 70 rides on the Midway, but it's possible to enjoy this area of the Fair just by walking through it and basking in the blinking, shimmering lights. The neon tubing of the main sign was restored in 2012, meaning that it's shining its brightest for your romantic walk.

    4. Ride the Texas Star Ferris wheel
    At 212 feet tall, this iconic ride is the tallest Ferris wheel in Texas. It was originally built in Italy, then shipped to Dallas for its debut in 1985. Now it's the most popular ride at the Fair, giving riders — and enamored couples — a view all the way out to downtown Fort Worth on a clear day. At night, 16,000 red, white, and blue turbolights create a dazzling display.

    5. Share a cotton candy cone
    It's not the Fair without the food. Even though the fried creations earn their outrageous fame, there's still something about chowing down on a Fletcher's Corny Dog or getting a sugar high from sharing some freshly spun cotton candy. Plus it makes for some seriously sweet kisses.

    6. Enjoy live music
    Arguably the best part about the Chevrolet Main Stage concert series is that it's included with your Fair admission. That means you have the opportunity to listen to 75 different headliners and regional musicians, all for free. This year, get ready for Wilson Phillips, The Spazmatics, Charlie Daniels Band, Flo Rida, Maren Morris, and Pat Green, among others.

    7. Check out the new car models
    Since 1913, Texans have been oohing and ahhing over the latest autos at the Fair. Now the Texas Auto Show (it got a fancy new name this year) is the largest new car show in the Southwest, with approximately 400 of the latest models on display across three areas of Fair Park: the Automobile Building, the Centennial Building, and the Truck Zone.

    8. Show off your Midway game skills
    Is there anything more traditionally adorable than winning a prize for your date? Carnival classics abound on the Midway, so warm up your throwing arm and get ready to win big. But note: In order to play games at the Fair, you must purchase a Big Tex Game Card (found at booths and kiosks adjacent to the gaming areas).

    9. Get half off Fair admission
    There are several ways to score discounted entry to the Fair, but if you don't want to keep track of special days just remember this: Bring an empty Dr Pepper can to the gate after after 5 pm, and you're in.

    10. End the night by watching the Mattress Firm Illumination Sensation firework show
    Cap off your visit with this nightly display at the Esplanade reflecting pool. At 8 pm, marvel at a water and laser show featuring sparkling fireworks, liquid-fire fountains, dancing waters, and colorful music.

    ---

    To learn more about the State Fair of Texas and purchase tickets, visit BigTex.com.

    The Midway is where you'll find some of the Fair's most iconic rides and games.

    Midway at the State Fair of Texas
      
    Photo courtesy of the State Fair of Texas
    The Midway is where you'll find some of the Fair's most iconic rides and games.
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    Movie Review

    Tom Cruise goes for broke in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

    Alex Bentley
    May 22, 2025 | 3:52 pm
    Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
    Photo courtesy of
    Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

    Over the course of 30 years and eight films, the Mission: Impossible film series has proven to be the most reliable of any action movie franchise. Not all of them are equally good, but with Tom Cruise (who will be surprising fans at Dallas screenings) in the lead as Ethan Hunt, they can be counted on for at least a couple of mind-blowing stunt sequences per film, enough to keep fans clamoring for more.

    Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning has the feel of being the last film in the series, and not just because the 62-year-old Cruise is getting up there in age. Following up closely on the events of 2023’s Dead Reckoning Part One (Part Two changed to The Final Reckoning for unknown reasons), the film has Hunt trying to stop an A.I. villain known as The Entity from taking over the world’s collective stash of nuclear weapons.

    To do so, Hunt and his cobbled-together team - Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell), and Paris (Pom Klementieff) - must hopscotch around the world, tracking villain Gabriel (Esai Morales) and trying to figure out a way to get The Entity’s source code, which is located on a sunken Russian submarine. Oh, and they also have to evade capture by a disgruntled U.S. government, led by now-President Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett).

    Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie and co-written by Erik Jendresen, the film might just be the most convoluted one in the series so far. The filmmakers layer on tons of exposition, with lots of flashbacks to previous events in the series to explicate the events of the present, as well as providing unexpected connections to previous films. The plan for stopping The Entity and the references to the past are so dense that the first half of the film is relatively boring.

    Things pick up in the final 90 minutes of the three-hour film, mostly because that’s when the majority of the action takes place. More than other entries in the series, the film considers the geopolitical implications of Hunt’s actions, and he has to negotiate with a variety of high-powered people to do what he deems best. While his efforts are somewhat preposterous, even by the standards of the series, they lead to a bunch of fun sequences that provide levity among the world-changing drama.

    Ultimately, what makes the film succeed are its action scenes. Cruise has done stunts on planes/helicopters before in the series, but what he does during a biplane sequence toward the end of the film is almost beyond belief. Yes, he’s attached to the plane with harnesses that are digitally erased, but he’s still doing it hundreds of feet in the air at great bodily risk considering how often he gets tossed around. There has been other spectacular stunt work in the series, but this one deserves to be near the top of the list.

    The flashbacks to scenes from throughout the series underscore just how much Cruise has changed in the past 30 years, but also make it amazing that he’s still willing to sacrifice his body as much as does in this film. No other actor goes as far as he does to entertain the masses, and the events of the story even give him opportunities to show off his dramatic acting skills.

    The supporting cast is more packed than usual, and all of them enhance the film. In addition to Hunt’s team, the President has a group of advisers that includes actors like Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Nick Offerman, and Janet McTeer. Other recognizable faces like Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Trammell Tillman (Severance), and Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) show up for impactful roles.

    Whether or not this is the last film in the current incarnation of the series, The Final Reckoning has a lot to offer for longtime fans, as well as some fresh great action that remains some of the best Hollywood has to offer. The story may be completely baffling, but with Cruise and other appealing actors leading the way, there’s more than enough great entertainment to go around.

    ---

    Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning opens in theaters on May 23.

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