New State Fair Stuff

Taylor Swift headlines the best new experiences at State Fair of Texas 2016

The 2016 State Fair of Texas debuts on September 30 with several new features, including pop culture and sports exhibits and two new food options.

The Taylor Swift Experience, a memorabilia collection from Taylor Swift's archive, comes to the fair after a run at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. It includes costumes, tour photos, instruments, and memorabilia never previously displayed — like the light blue Reem Acra gown she wore to the ACM Awards at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Other wardrobe pieces include the rhinestone-studded ringmaster ensemble she wore while performing "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" on the RED Tour, and the custom-beaded outfit she wore at the 2014 American Music Awards when she premiered "Blank Space."

Food fanatics can also look forward to two new options: Trio on the Green brings a new concept of "bites and flights," serving trios of appetizers and drinks. Located under three oak trees outside the Coliseum, it'll serve everything in threes, from sliders and fries to flights of beer and wine.

Fiesta Grande will open next to the Hall of State, offering Mexican and domestic beer and assorted snacks at a shaded outdoor location. The cantina-style patio features tables and umbrellas perfect for relaxing, with live acoustic music on weekends.

There are also a couple of "extreme" sports displays.

Lords of Gravity Basketball Slam Dunk Show hails from Budapest, Hungary, and has become one of the most well-known acrobatic basketball teams in Europe. Each high-energy show brings jaw-dropping hoop skills and high-ﬂying acrobatics to the court. The talented troupe will be performing daily in Chevrolet Park Plaza.

Xpogo features two pogo professionals showing off their skills with gravity-defying tricks, flips, and spins.

Lone Star Stampede, a new show hosted in the Pan Am Arena, features quintessential Western themes like stagecoaches, horses, cowboys, bandits, Native American dancers, sharpshooters, and a Texas Longhorn cattle drive.

Lords of Gravity are performing at the State Fair of Texas 2016.

Lords of Gravity/Facebook

Lords of Gravity are performing at the State Fair of Texas 2016.

state-fair

Marquee news

Massive EVO Entertainment venue will bring movies and bowling to Forney

EVO Entertainment Group/Facebook

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A major new entertainment destination is coming to Forney: EVO Entertainment has broken ground on an 82,000-square-foot venue that will bring movies, dining, bowling, and games to the fast-growing North Texas city.

According to a release, it's slated to open in fall 2026 in the burgeoning The Village at Gateway development.

The new EVO Entertainment Forney will feature so many attractions, it calls for a bulleted list:

nine theaters, including one IMAX auditorium and two EVX auditoriums
a full-service bar and restaurant
an upper-level lounge area
event and conference spaces
22 bowling lanes
125+ arcade games
rock climbing walls
a multi-level ropes course
bumper cars
laser tag

A January 20 groundbreaking event brought together community leaders, development partners, and local stakeholders to turn the first dirt.

“In Forney, we talk a lot about ‘Forney Family,’ and that spirit truly matters here,” said Forney City Council member Zahnd Schlensker in a statement. “EVO embodies that same sense of family ... This project is about honoring the past while creating a place where new memories will be made for generations to come.”

EVO Entertainment has a connection to Forney: Company CEO Mitchell Roberts' grandfather Lee Roy Mitchell was founder and former chairman of the board of Cinemark and a Forney native who, the release says, "helped shape the modern cinema industry —making EVO’s return to the city a meaningful full-circle moment."

Forney is a fast-growing city in Kaufman County, about 21 miles east of Dallas. It will soon be home to North Texas' newest H-E-B supermarket.

Forney's Kaufman County neighbor of Crandall had the second-hottest U.S. ZIP code for movers at the end of 2025.

The area is one of North Texas' biggest "boomtowns."

movies forney openings