State Fair Season
State Fair of Texas gets early start selling tickets to annual fried food hoo-ha
The State Fair of Texas season begins earlier every year: The State Fair has begun selling tickets, food and ride coupons, as well as tickets to the 11th annual Big Tex Choice Awards, aka the fried-food fest. All tickets are available to order online today at BigTex.com/tickets.
Although buying tickets at the fair when you arrive has never been a problem, selling them online starts the exciting State Fair hype machine earlier than if you just bought tickets the day you attend. The State Fair is making tickets available online for general admission, children and seniors. The price is $18 for general admission, $14 admission for children under 48 inches in height, and seniors age 60 and older; it's free for children age 2 and under.
Also available online is a State Fair of Texas Season Pass for $39.99, which includes 24-day admission as well as a variety of special pass-holder benefits. Buy now and save $10 on the 2015 season pass by using promo code BIGTEX.
They're offering a new $99 season pass combo pack, which includes two season passes and 120 food and ride coupons. You save $40. Other ticket and coupon packages, ranging from 15 to 30 percent in savings, are available online. If you are attending the fair with a group larger than 20 people, you can get up to 39 percent off; advance group discount tickets are available.
The State Fair is also repeating a practice it introduced in 2014 by turning its 11th annual Big Tex Choice Awards food competition into a public event. This year, it's Sunday, August 30, at 2:30 pm, and tickets are available online for the steep price of $100. The Big Tex Choice Awards will be held in the Tower Building at Fair Park. Attendees get to taste the food made by the finalists.
All proceeds from the Big Tex Choice Awards ceremony will be donated to the State Fair of Texas Youth Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to more than 1,600 students for a total of more than $4.5 million.
This year's theme is Passport to Texas, with a poster showing a worn suitcase and guitar case embellished with stickers from cities and towns like El Paso, Lubbock, Austin, Houston and Paris, offering an homage to every corner of the state.