{"id":360,"date":"2015-09-30T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-30T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/?p=360"},"modified":"2018-01-04T14:28:22","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T19:28:22","slug":"how-cool-is-the-state-fair-of-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/09\/30\/how-cool-is-the-state-fair-of-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"How Cool is the State Fair of Texas?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_370\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-370\" class=\"wp-image-370 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01-740x601.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of the State Fair of Texas\" width=\"740\" height=\"601\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01-740x601.jpg 740w, https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01-400x325.jpg 400w, https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-370\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view of the 1966 State Fair of Texas<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2015 State Fair of Texas has been up and running for a full 6\u00a0days now, and hopes are high to beat\u00a0the record-breaking numbers it saw last year. A welcome reprieve from the hot lines at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, families are excited for the cool weather of this autumn attraction. Students in Fort Worth ISD even get a day off with a free ticket to the fair. Other cool things this year include a Smoky Bacon Margarita, Deep Fried Alligator\u2019s Egg Nest, an auto show, and a chili and BBQ cookoff. There\u2019s little excuse to miss this Texas tradition, even bad weather. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metadc700131\/?q=fair\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This news clip from the KXAS\/NBC-5 News Collection<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shows 1967 fair-goers enjoying the festivities, despite a torrent of rain and the parade getting cancelled.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What else is cool about the State Fair of Texas?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b><\/b><b>It\u2019s old.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Fair traces itself all the way back to 1886, when a grand Fourth of July celebration was held at a newly purchased, 80-acre exhibition site in East Dallas. It was called the State Fair of Dallas, and attracted 100,000 visitors during its first year.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Celebrities, of a historical nature, have visited the Fair.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Among them are Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Booker T. Washington, Vice-President Richard Nixon, President William Taft, President Franklin Roosevelt, and King Olav V of Norway. Elvis Presley also made a big splash in 1956 with his appearance at the Cotton Bowl, as can be seen by <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metadc333225\/?q=elvis\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this news script from the KXAS\/NBC-5 News Collection<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. (Any piece of literature that begins with the line, \u201cElvis, Elvis, where\u2019s the Pelvis?\u201d deserves a look!)<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Military use.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Camp Dick, an aviation boot camp, was established in 1918, effectively cancelling that year\u2019s fair. The military again leased buildings in Fair Park for military purposes during\u00a0the Second World War, leaving Texas without its fair from 1942 to 1946<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Corny dogs.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Though we can\u2019t thank Neil and Carl Fletcher for inventing them, they started<\/span><\/span>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_371\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-003_01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-371\" class=\"wp-image-371 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-003_01-400x487.jpg\" alt=\"Patrons wait to ride the Ferris wheel at the State Fair\" width=\"400\" height=\"487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-003_01-400x487.jpg 400w, https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-003_01-740x900.jpg 740w, https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-003_01.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-371\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patrons wait to ride the Skydiver ride\u00a0at the State Fair, 1966<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">marketing them as a fast food product at Fair Park in 1946&#8211;a delicious beginning to the Fair\u2019s love affair with all things fried (even Coca Cola, which was first fried up in 2006)!<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The Ferris Wheel.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Known as the Texas Star, this is certainly a crowd favorite. It can entertain 264 passengers at a time, and was the largest Ferris Wheel in North America from 1985 until 2013, when it was outdone by Mexico\u2019s Star of Puebla.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The Cotton Bowl.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Construction on the Cotton Bowl began in 1936 to replace a wooden stadium already in place at Fair Park. Seating was later added to the Cotton Bowl twice to support the infamous annual football rivalry between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma. In 1960, the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Texans played their first seasons here. <\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b><b>Big Tex. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A renovated giant Santa Claus from the city of Kerens, Big Tex has welcomed visitors to the State Fair since 1952. He has endured many makeovers, including moving to a completely new body in 2012, after the original burst into flames. He was 60 years old.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"attachment_372\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-001_01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-372\" class=\"wp-image-372 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-001_01-400x326.jpg\" alt=\"Handlers and their calves wait for judging at the State Fair\" width=\"400\" height=\"326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-001_01-400x326.jpg 400w, https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-001_01-740x603.jpg 740w, https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-001_01.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-372\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Handlers and their calves wait for judging at the 1966 State Fair<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texans have enjoyed the State Fair in Dallas, and all the cool things that come with the Fair, for over a century. The Fair has served the city and the rest of the state well for just as long. Operating as a non-profit, the Fair gives back to citizens by supporting agriculture, offering student scholarships, and working to keep Texas beautiful. The photographs in this post are all from the <a href=\"http:\/\/findingaids.library.unt.edu\/index.php?p=collections\/findingaid&amp;id=325\">Texas Metro Magazine collection<\/a>, which contains advertisements, articles, photographs, and correspondence about the booming economy and exciting culture of the Southwest Metroplex.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-by Alexandra Traxinger Sch\u00fctz<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&nbsp; The 2015 State Fair of Texas has been up and running for a full 6\u00a0days now, and hopes are high to beat\u00a0the record-breaking numbers it saw last year. A welcome reprieve from the hot lines at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, families are excited for the cool weather of this autumn attraction. Students&#8230;  <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/09\/30\/how-cool-is-the-state-fair-of-texas\/\" class=\"more-link\" title=\"Read How Cool is the State Fair of Texas?\">Read more &raquo;<\/a>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[113,116,114,19,115,111,112],"class_list":["post-360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-big-tex","tag-corny-dogs","tag-cotton-bowl","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-state-fair-of-texas","tag-texas-state-fair"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60UnY-5O","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":393,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/10\/07\/the-cotton-bowl-the-house-that-doak-built\/","url_meta":{"origin":360,"position":0},"title":"The Cotton Bowl, The House that Doak Built","author":"Alexandra","date":"October 7, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In the years following World War II, Doak Walker (a.k.a. \u201cThe Doaker\u201d) was the college football favorite. A true All-American, Doak led the SMU Mustangs in academics, athletics, and leadership, leaving behind a solid legacy for all Mustangs to come. He entered Southern Methodist University as a Freshman in 1945\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Cotton Bowl\"","block_context":{"text":"Cotton Bowl","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/cotton-bowl\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aerial photograph of the Cotton Bowl stadium in Fair Park. From the Lester Strother Texas Metro Collection. UNTA_AR0327-101-002","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-101-001-1-740x604.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-101-001-1-740x604.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-101-001-1-740x604.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-101-001-1-740x604.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2014\/06\/13\/red-river-showdown\/","url_meta":{"origin":360,"position":1},"title":"Red River Showdown","author":"Morgan","date":"June 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"With the much celebrated announcement this week that the Red River Showdown would remain at the Cotton Bowl until the year 2025, an 85 year-old Dallas tradition was upheld. Each year, Dallas becomes awash in a sea of burnt orange and red as legions of fans from north and south\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/CottonBowl.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/CottonBowl.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/CottonBowl.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/CottonBowl.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2014\/10\/21\/howdy-from-big-tex-and-the-record-breaking-texas-state-fair\/","url_meta":{"origin":360,"position":2},"title":"Howdy from Big Tex and the Record Breaking Texas State Fair","author":"Morgan","date":"October 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The annual celebration of all things fried, also known as the State Fair of Texas, wrapped up its 2014 season with record breaking numbers last weekend. According to published reports, the nation\u2019s largest state fair generated a whopping 42 million dollars this year, smashing the previous record of 37.3 million\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Big Tex","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/Big-Tex-300x243.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":126,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/05\/19\/the-texas-triangle\/","url_meta":{"origin":360,"position":3},"title":"The Texas Triangle","author":"UNT Special Collections","date":"May 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 The collections being exposed within the Southwest Metroplex blog all share the chaos and excitement that overcame the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the decades following World War II. UNT\u2019s Special Collections department houses items documenting the enormous population boom in North Texas, tremendous strides made in transportation and urban\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"dfwstats","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/05\/dfwstats-400x502.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":367,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/10\/14\/remembering-texas-stadium\/","url_meta":{"origin":360,"position":4},"title":"Remembering Texas Stadium","author":"Alexandra","date":"October 14, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Football is fun. It\u2019s a moneymaker, too. That\u2019s one reason Irving decided to construct Texas Stadium, after the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Clint Murchison Jr., expressed interest in moving the team out of the Cotton Bowl. Through revenue bonds, Irving financed the stadium, and it opened in 1971 as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Dallas Cowboys\"","block_context":{"text":"Dallas Cowboys","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/dallas-cowboys\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A view of the field and open roof at Texas Stadium in Irving, 1972. From the Lester Strother Texas Metro Collection. UNTA_AR0327-101-002","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-101-002-001-740x595.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-101-002-001-740x595.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-101-002-001-740x595.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-101-002-001-740x595.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":470,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/11\/18\/the-sids-information-center-in-dallas\/","url_meta":{"origin":360,"position":5},"title":"The SIDS Information Center in Dallas","author":"Alexandra","date":"November 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as Crib Death, is believed to have devastated families since human origin. It is only recently that the medical and political worlds have come together to understand SIDS. Now, it is well-known that babies under age one are at risk of dying in\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"SIDS Counseling and Information Project Pamphlet, UNTA_AR0177-027-001","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/11\/UNTA_AR0177-027-001_001-239x533.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":555,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360\/revisions\/555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}