The 126-year-old tradition that is the State Fair of Texas returns once again to Fair Park, and it's bringing a new-and-improved Big Tex with it after the big man's tragic demise last year. The great thing about the fair is its predictable greatness, from the butter sculptures to the pig races to the oodles of fried food. During its 24-day run, you can try all the new concoctions, check out the midway, enjoy free concerts every day, ogle the return of the Chinese Lantern Festival or take a trip to the top of the Top 'o Texas Tower, a new attraction that opened this past summer. The beauty is that there's never a shortage of things to do, so what are you waiting for?