Rebecca and Melanie Ziriax breezed through check-in around noon and sought shade near the west end of the Fair Park Esplanade, waiting on their mother to cash in two jars of peanut butter at the gate.
The Ziriax family are pros when it comes to the State Fair of Texas, with more than 20 years of fairs under their belts. The sisters, armed with season passes, skipped the line while mom’s peanut butter jars — which will go to the North Texas Food Bank — knocked her admission price down to $10.
”We’ve been coming since we were little,” said Rebecca Ziriax, 27, who was sporting a Whataburger-branded drawstring backpack. Melanie Ziriax, 30, matched her pride for their home state with a shirt printed with the words “Born a Texan.”
The Dallas family were among tens of thousands who flocked to Fair Park for the opening day of the State Fair of Texas. The fair, held mostly every year since 1886, is one of Texas’ premier events and routinely draws millions to Fair Park over the 24 days the fair is held. Last year’s fair drew over 2.3 million visitors.
The opening of the fair also comes with new security measures after a man shot three people at last year’s fair. Previously, licensed handgun owners were allowed to carry at the fair, but this year, the fair has banned handguns from being carried, apart from peace officers.
Friday morning was chilly as state fair employees in their navy and red shirts stepped off the DART minutes before gates opened at 9 a.m. Roughly a dozen people were waiting to get admission tickets.
“Howdy folks! Welcome!” One gate attendant shouted out, echoing Big Tex.
As soon as the information booths opened at 9 a.m., employees slapped bright yellow brochures onto the counters and placed a pile of Opening Day buttons out for people to grab. There was a line within minutes to get a pin, which is specially designed each year to match the event’s theme.
Many fairgoers showed off their yellow Opening Day buttons. Some donned Texas-themed apparel. At least one attendee wore a “Big Tex for President” shirt.
Throughout the day, crowds of fairgoers filled Fair Park, with lines piling up at pop-up kiosks for food and games. The upbeat tunes of Kenny Chesney, the Texas Tornados and Pine Valley Cosmonauts filled the air, melting together with the sounds of skeeballs being rolled down the lane and rings clinking off glass bottles.
The cool morning weather continued into midday and afternoon, with temperatures in the low 80s and breezy, temperatures t increased by midafternoon.
By lunchtime, a sea of people had formed around the Tower Building, with fried food fans seeking whatever Big Tex Choice Awards they could find to indulge in.
After Cheryl Ziriax reunited with her daughters, the trio started game planning where on the fairgrounds to go first. For years, they’ve paid a visit to Hare Do, who has styled their hair since they were little. For Rebecca, who describes herself as “horse crazy,” the livestock birthing barn is a must. They often walk through the Automotive Building, where Rebecca says they “try on” vehicles on display.
They are a tall family — their dad, who wasn’t at the fair Friday, is about 6′ 9″ and sometimes jokes he put Miracle-Gro in their food when they were kids — so picking a vehicle they can fit in is important. An array of vehicles awaited them Friday, ranging from American-made pickups by Ford and Chevrolet to a few Alfa Romeo SUVs. The showroom buzzed with activity, filled with gawking onlookers and the sound of car doors opening and closing.
The opening of the State Fair comes amid legal battles brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against the fair’s gun ban. The fair banned guns from being brought into the fair by people other than peace officers in early August after a shooting at last year’s fair injured three people. The fair previously allowed licensed handgun owners to carry at the fair.
Amid criticism of the policy from state lawmakers, Paxton filed suit against the city of Dallas, the fair and the interim city manager, alleging the ban was violating state law. After the Supreme Court of Texas on Thursday denied an injunction Paxton sought to block the ban, Paxton pledged Friday that he would continue to fight the “unlawful” ban.
“Texans have a right to lawfully carry and the City of Dallas has no authority to contract their rights away to a private entity,” Paxton said. “This case is not over. I will continue to fight this on the merits to uphold Texans’ ability to defend themselves, which is protected by State law. While Texas clearly prohibits this type of gun ban, I will be working with the Legislature this session to protect law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights on public property.”
The State Fair of Texas runs for 24 days, from Friday to Sunday, Oct. 20.
