Rainy Blues

State Fair of Texas extends hours on closing weekend to atone for rain

The Midway might stay open late, if there's a demand.

Photo courtesy of the State Fair of Texas

Due to the hellacious rain that has drenched all of Dallas, officials at the State Fair of Texas have decided to extend hours for closing weekend on October 20-21.

The Fair is adding hours on both Saturday and Sunday to allow fairgoers to try and wring something good out of the 2018 State Fair before it closes for good on Sunday night.

"We know the State Fair of Texas is something Texans look forward to every year and that the cold and rainy weather has caused some folks to delay their trips this year," says State Fair president Mitchell Glieber. "We hope by extending hours for the Fair this weekend, it offers fairgoers the option to enjoy this year’s Fair before we close the gates on Sunday night."

Texas has had record-breaking rain in the past month, and Dallas not only had its wettest September ever, but the first 15 days of October broke records, as well.

Hours are as follows:

The State Fair of Texas will officially be open from 9 am-11 pm on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21. The Midway may stay open later if fairgoers are still using rides, games, and concessions.

Parking lots and all gates will open at 7 am.

Will Call will be open from 7 am-8 pm.

Coupon booths and online coupon redemption centers will open at 9 am.

You can still purchase coupons ahead of time at BigTex.com. Select the print-at-home option and print or pull up the barcode in the email on your smartphone at one of the many online coupon pickups throughout the grounds.

You can pick up your coupons at a hospitality center instead of a coupon booth. Hospitality centers and information booths will open at 9 am.

Concessions, including the Tower Building Food Court, will be open from 9 am-11 pm. Several concessionaires open early to serve breakfast.

The State Fair Midway will open at 9 am, as long as there are no weather delays.

All exhibit buildings and outdoor exhibits (shopping) will open at 9 am.

All buildings will close at 10 pm. The Children’s Health Barnyard petting zoo may stay open later, depending on interest.

Most museums and cultural facilities are open from 10 am-7 pm.

weather state-fair

Concert News

Guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai to rock Dallas on 2026 tour

Photo by Jon Luini

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai will play at the Music Hall at Fair Park on April 17, 2026.

Legendary guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai will bring their debut SATCHVAI Band tour to the United States for the first time, including a stop at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas on April 17, 2026.

The “Surfing with the Hydra” 2026 tour will travel to 37 cities over the course of two months, starting in Seattle, Washington on April 1.

In addition to Dallas, Satriani and Vai will also play in Houston on April 16 and Austin on April 18. They'll be joined by special guest Animals As Leaders on all dates.

The two guitar icons, who have a nearly 50-year friendship and musical partnership, formally joined forces as the SATCHVAI Band in March 2024. They subsequently put out two songs: "The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1" and "I Wanna Play My Guitar."

They're getting set to release another song, “Dancing,” which will come out on March 2, 2026.

Both musicians have solo careers that date back to the 1980s. Satriani has released 18 albums in his career, most recently The Elephants of Mars in 2022. Vai has released 11 albums in his career, most recently Vai/Gash in 2023.

Tickets for the tour will go on sale starting with the artist presale on Wednesday, December 10 at 10 am local time, which fans can access with the password SATCHVAI2026.

Local presales follow on Thursday, December 11 prior to the general on-sale date of Friday, December 12. All ticket details are available at satchvaiband.com.

SATCHVAI Band “Surfing with the Hydra” 2026 U.S. Tour

April 1 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
April 2 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
April 4 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
April 5 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
April 7 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Terrace Theater
April 8 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
April 10 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Amphitheatre
April 11 – Las Vegas, NV – The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
April 14 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom
April 16 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
April 17 – Dallas, TX – Music Hall at Fair Park
April 18 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater
April 20 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre
April 22 – Pompano Beach, FL – Pompano Beach Amphitheater
April 24 – Clearwater, FL – Baycare Sound
April 25 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
April 26 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
April 27 – Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Symphony Hall
April 29 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
April 30 – Durham, NC – DPAC
May 2 – Minneapolis, MN – State Theatre
May 3 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
May 5 – Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater
May 8 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavillion at Riverbend Music Center
May 9 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
May 12 – Buffalo, NY – Kleinhans Music Hall
May 15 – Northfield, OH – MGM Northfield Park
May 16 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
May 17 – Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theatre
May 20 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
May 21 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
May 22 – Waterbury, CT – Palace Theater
May 23 – Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
May 27 – Reading, PA – Santander Performing Arts Center
May 28 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
May 29 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
May 30 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap

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