Were you at the fair in 2009 when Oprah tried a Fletcher’s Corny Dog and fried butter? How about in ‘07 when the Jonas Brothers sang to thousands of teens, tweens and parents (and broke all roads leading to Fair Park that day)? What about watching Usher shoot some hoops this year?
Take a look back at some of staff favorite celebrities who have walked in the shadow of Big Tex and made the great State Fair of Texas even greater.
And if you want to catch some more stars at the fair, here’s a look at the performers scheduled to make an appearance this year.
Elvis Presley (1956)
This rock ‘n’ roll king got fair goers all shook up in a 1956 State Fair concert in the Cotton Bowl.
Garth Brooks (1990)
With “The Dance” at No. 1 during the summer of 1990, Garth was well on his way to super stardom when he played the State Fair in October. He was booked to play Billy Bob’s Texas the next month but, according to a story on the honky tonk’s website, promotion of that show was forbidden until after the Fair date. No prob. Promoters hired a plane to fly over the fairgrounds during Garth’s show with a banner announcing the Fort Worth gig. The singer pointed to the banner and told fans, “I guess you know where I’ll be playing next.” His Billy Bob’s show was sold out by the following day.
Selena (1994)
It’s been 30 years since Selena Quintanilla Pérez performed at the State Fair of Texas. The Queen of Tejano Music and fashion icon donned a gold top as she performed her signature songs and spin moves. Her older brother, A.B. Quintanilla, has since performed at the fair.
Dixie Chicks (1998 and 2002)
With their first hit, “Wide Open Spaces,” under their belt, the Dixie Chicks performed to a hometown crowd at the 1998 State Fair. They returned in 2002, hotter than ever, for a show inside the Cotton Bowl on the final Saturday of the Fair. Stormy weather kept some fans away, but an estimated 40,000 braved the bad weather to hear the Chicks.
Jonas Brothers (2007)
The boys created a Columbus Day frenzy in 2007, playing to an estimated 20,000 adoring fans on a very hot Monday afternoon. The crowd went even wilder with the introduction of hometown girls Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez.
Demi Lovato (2008)
Straight off her Camp Rock movie and first CD, 16-year-old Demi Lovato performed for her young fans on another hot fair day. The Dallas Morning News reported that fans arrived as early as 7 a.m. for the outdoor show. “I would have walked here if my mom couldn’t take us,” 12-year-old Alyssa Anwar of Grand Prairie said.
Selena Gomez (2009)
A spokesperson for Borden's Milk at the time, Disney star Selena Gomez, 17, visited the fair to attend a birthday party for Borden's Elsie the Cow. Elsie chewed her cake while Selena posed for fan photos.
Oprah Winfrey (2009)
Oprah brought her TV crew to the State Fair of Texas to tape a show with her besties Gayle King, Ali Wentworth, Nate Berkus and Martina McBride in tow. Oprah went all Western with boots and cowboy hat, played midway games and sampled deep-fried delicacies. A Dallas News story reported her thumbs up to the crowd: “Y’all sure know how to throw a great State Fair.” Fans shouted back: “We love Oprah, yes we do. We love Oprah, how about you?”
Kacey Musgraves (2016)
Country singer-songwriter from Golden, Texas, made her most recent appearance performing at the State Fair of Texas fresh off of the debut of her album Pageant Material and headlining her own tour. Her success has continued to grow with more mainstream attention for subsequent releases Golden Hour, Star-Crossed and Deeper Well.
Nelly (2016)
St. Louis rapper Nelly headlined on a Saturday night during the fair that was met with a stoked crowd. Wearing signature sunglasses, he sported State Fair merch to round out his look.
Micah Parsons (2023)
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons was spotted all over the State Fair in 2023, from shooting hoops to competing in a climbing game along the midway. The knowledge is all thanks to TikTok.
Usher (2024)
R&B legend Usher made time to stop by the State Fair of Texas while in Dallas performing for three nights at the American Airlines Center. He was spotted playing games and more. Usher, who has roots in Dallas, was this year’s half-time performer at the Super Bowl.
Leon Bridges (2024)
Soul singer Leon Bridges stopped into the fair and engaged in four iconic traditions: a stop for a Fletcher’s Original Corny Dog squiggled with yellow mustard, a smile in front of Big Tex, a ride on the Texas Star Ferris wheel and a view of the Texas-OU football game from the sidelines of the Cotton Bowl.
Steve Sarkisian (2024)
It’s no surprise that University of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was spotted at the State Fair of Texas. After all, someone had to lead the Longhorns to victory over the Oklahoma Sooners football program in the Red River Rivalry. What caught our eye? Sark picked up a Fletcher’s corny dog on his way into a postgame press conference, his first time trying the treat. “It’s amazing actually,” said the coach. “I’m starving.”
Editor’s note: Norma Cavazos contributed to this report.
