It's not all Fletcher's Corny Dogs and Ferris wheels at the State Fair of Texas, which opens September 26 and runs through October 19.
A big part of successfully welcoming 2.4 million-and-counting folks to Fair Park is a comprehensive safety and security plan, and this year's updated policies have just been released.
Enhanced this year is the clear bag policy, which requires that clear bags and soft-shell coolers must be 9" x 10" x 12" or smaller for entry. Small clutch bags or purses do not have to be clear, but cannot exceed 4.5” x 6.5”.
Exceptions to this policy will be made for medical bags, parenting bags, and soft-shell coolers after proper inspection. Something to note about the coolers is that only ice packs and clear baggies of ice are allowed — no loose ice is permitted.
Beginning at 5 pm daily, all minors age 17 and under must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone (21+) when entering the Fair. Parents, guardians, or chaperones may accompany no more than six minors.
The pedestrian gate entry will continue to funnel guests through weapons detection technology, and all security screen processes will be recorded.
This is your official reminder that, despite Ken Paxton's best efforts, all firearms, knives (other than small pocketknives), clubs, explosive devices, ammunition, chemical dispensing devices, replicas or hoaxes, or other weapons of any kind are not allowed inside the Fair. This includes holders of a License to Carry, Constitutional Carry, Concealed Carry, and the Open Carry of firearms anywhere on the fairgrounds, including Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Speaking of Cotton Bowl Stadium, fans attending the State Fair Classic between Grambling State and Prairie View A&M, and the Allstate Red River Rivalry between UT and Oklahoma, will also need to follow the clear bag policy and abide by a fan code of conduct. A similar guest code of conduct is in place for all State Fair attendees, and is posted near all pedestrian entrances.
The State Fair Command Center, introduced last year, is also returning. Run by the recently retired City of Dallas Office of Emergency Management and Crisis Response director, Rocky Vaz, the center is where all event oversight, incident notification, tracking, and resolution occurs. It's operational 24 hours a day for the 24-day run of the State Fair.
Finally, although the parking lots will open daily at 9:30 am, guests this year will not be allowed to enter the Fair before it officially opens at 10 am.
To read all the safety policies and other FAQs, head here.
Catch up on CultureMap's coverage of all things State Fair-related, including concert lineups and how to score ticket discounts, with this special editorial series.
