The State Fair of Texas will return in 2021, confirms its spokeswoman. The coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the storied Texas tradition in 2020.
It’s welcome news for an event with a 135-year history, says State Fair of Texas president Mitchell Glieber in a statement.
“We’re excited to make up for lost time and help families and friends from all walks of life reconnect again, while making new memories to last a lifetime,” he says.
The event will take place in Fair Park in Dallas from Sept. 24 through Oct. 17. Many of the traditions are expected to return: Corny dogs will be sizzling in the fryers; flashy, new cars will be parked at the Texas Auto Show; and the midway will be buzzing with games.
The fair will also host a few dozen concerts and stand-up comedy shows — each free, with admission into the fair. Performers include swamp-funk group Shinyribs, country singer Jack Ingram, and “here’s your sign” comedian Bill Engvall. See the lineup below.
The event usually welcomes 2.5 million visitors over its 24-day run. It’s not clear yet whether the same number of fairgoers will be allowed inside Fair Park in 2021. A statement from the State Fair says it will follow guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government agencies, and that further information about COVID-19 precautions will be shared “closer to opening day.”
A statement on the COVID-19 update page notes that the fair “may look slightly different from every other year to ensure a safe environment.” Season passes for the State Fair of Texas are on sale now.
Last year, Big Tex was still installed in Fair Park even though millions of fairgoers didn’t get the chance to visit. It was Tex’s 68th year on the job, but it was the first time he wore a mask. (The mask was 84 inches by 45 inches — just a little bigger than a twin-sized mattress.)
Big Tex will not wear a mask this year, says Karissa Condoianis, senior vice president of public relations for the State Fair of Texas.
Also in 2020, the fair hosted a drive-through fair-food parade, intended to keep the “State Fair spirit alive,” as Condoianis put it. It was a way to let thousands of people, in their cars, onto the fairgrounds for some fun. But it was not a replacement for the State Fair of Texas, Condoianis often said that year.
The State Fair of Texas is a nonprofit that has given millions of dollars to Texas kids for higher-education scholarships. And the cancellation of the larger event was a major financial blow to the fair, which saw its 2019 revenue of about $66 million tank to just over $4 million in 2020.
Condoianis says the fair “is returning in all its Lone Star glory.”
“Every year we are honored to be a place for people to say, ‘Howdy, Folks!,’ to each other, and after a year without the State Fair of Texas, we’re more elated than ever before to be that place again in 2021,” she says.
2021 music and comedy acts on Chevrolet Main Stage at State Fair of Texas include:
- Sept. 24: Clay Walker
- Sept. 25: Dru Hill; Black Pumas
- Sept. 26: La Energia Norteña
- Sept. 30: Little Joe y La Familia
- Oct. 1: Shinyribs
- Oct. 2: Eleven Hundred Springs; Kevin Fowler
- Oct. 3: Grand Funk Railroad
- Oct. 7: Brave Combo
- Oct. 8: Mike and the Moonpies
- Oct. 9: Jack Ingram; Bill Engvall
- Oct. 10: Sugar Ray
- Oct. 11: Le Freak
- Oct. 15: Kraig Parker
- Oct. 16: Charley Crockett
- Oct. 17: Los Bandoleros
Story updated on June 2, 2021, with musical lineup
