More State Fair Fun

State Fair's 'Texification' plans and more new features for 2014

Big Tex welcomes fairgoers starting September 26.

Every year the State Fair of Texas puts a unique spin on the proceedings, with a different theme and new attractions. For 2014, the most noticeable change is a renewed emphasis on Texas, y'all.

In case the 55-foot talking cowboy weren't enough of a clue, the "Texification" of the fair includes a 30-by-50-foot Texas flag flying just below the Top o' Texas Tower, banners and other signage around the fairgrounds boasting Texas pride, and new Texas-themed floats and music in the nightly Starlight Parade.

Also new for 2014 is the Mattress Firm Music Fest, starring Texas country music sensations Randy Rogers Band and the Josh Abbott Band, along with Easton Corbin and Jerrod Niemann. The fest takes places inside the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, October 18, and tickets include fair admission.

The music fest is in addition to the the free concerts on the Chevy Main Stage. Speaking of which, the audience can expect to be more comfortable this year, thanks to turf installed in front of the stage, as opposed to the hard pavement of past years.

For food enthusiasts, there's a new cooking contest in which participants prepare and cook a main dish, dessert and bread in a three-pot Dutch oven. As part of its philanthropic efforts, the State Fair is partnering with Canstruction® to showcase cans of food as architecture. The cans will be donated to the North Texas Food Bank and Tarrant County Food Bank after the fair.

Animal lovers also have more to enjoy thanks to the Wild West Pet Palooza in the Fair Park Band Shell. The show, created especially for the State Fair by Joel Slaven, features animals that have been rescued from shelters all over the United States.

A new area near Leonhardt Lagoon, the Kids' Boardwalk, offers several free interactive activities for kids, including a Ronald McDonald show, pumpkin painting, games, photo opportunities and more.

To capitalize on World Cup excitement, Mundo Latino presents the new exhibit Fútbol Soccer, A Look at the World's Sport. It explores the history of soccer and why it's so popular around the world.

And don't forget the millions of lights that were installed around Fair Park for this summer's Fair Park Sparks, a bright sight that most fairgoers will be witnessing for the first time.

Season passes, tickets and coupons to the State Fair of Texas, which runs September 26 through October 19, are now on sale at BigTex.com. Discounts apply until August 31.

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Excavator News

Construction theme park developed with Dude Perfect digs into Grapevine

Dig World

A new kind of entertainment experience is bulldozing into Grapevine: Called Dig World, it's a construction-themed adventure park that will open at 2200 W. Grapevine Mills Cir. at Grapevine Mills.

According to a release, the park will open in early 2026.

This will be the second location of Dig World, following the first location in Katy, just outside of Houston, which opened in March 2022. It's not the only concept to turn construction into an amusement; a concept called Extreme Sandbox opened in Sachse in 2020, but they closed in 2023 with plans to reboot.

The park allows families to safely operate full-size construction equipment in a hands-on, kid-friendly environment. Their main attractions feature excavator digs, mini pond fishing, a UTV course, skid steer track, and a 40-foot boom lift.

The Grapevine Mills location also features exclusive attractions developed in partnership with Dude Perfect, the media brand known for their trick shot videos, including construction-themed trick-shot stations and interactive family challenges.

“Grapevine Mills has become a premier destination for immersive entertainment, from Meow Wolf to Legoland Discovery Center, to adventures at The Escape Game," says General Manager at Grapevine Mills Joe Szymaszek in a statement. "We’re thrilled to welcome Dig World to the mix as it brings a whole new level of hands-on, family-friendly fun to our center.”

Tickets for the park start at $30 for two hours, and there are annual pass memberships that start at $50.

Dig World was founded by Jacob Robinson, his college friend Rick Bennett, and Alex Carroll in 2022. Robinson’s son Pierce lives with significant special needs due to suffering from bacterial meningitis, and has always been mesmerized by construction equipment. That inspired Robinson’s vision of the park.

The founders were recently featured on Shark Tank, which put the company on a national stage and earned them a deal with one of the sharks: Robert Herjavec. Herjavec agreed to give Dig World a $200,000 investment in exchange for 10 percent equity.

“As a lifelong builder and entrepreneur, I couldn’t be more excited to launch Dig World in my hometown of DFW,” says co-founder Alex Carroll in a statement. “We’re combining real machinery, creative play, and the power of partnership with Dude Perfect to create an unforgettable experience for families.”

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