Rides, Food, Games…It’s Good Times For East Texas Fair Season
When you see fair schedules popping up on the calendar you know that some fun family time is ahead along with some cooler weather, indulgence in some fair food and a lot of memories!
There's just something about an East Texas county fair, it doesn't matter if you're on a diet or doing what you can to maintain your health status and weight, you're going to indulge in a corn dog, roasted corn, cotton candy, squeezed lemonade, smoked turkey leg, caramel covered apple, and definitely something fried. Or two or three different kinds of something fried! It's the fair and calories don't count.
When early September rolls around we can begin to plan our weekends around the fair or even our weekdays. There are days when we'll go to the fairgrounds for fair food for lunch! We look forward to riding all the rides we can with the purchase of those ride armbands and being entertained by some live music and shows too. There's definitely not a shortage of fairs in East Texas this fall.
The first fair of the season is the Gregg County Fair (September 9th - 17th in Longview) and it wraps up with the Pineywoods Fair (October 12th - 16th in Nacogdoches). You can hit up the fair that is closest to you, or if you're a 'fair junkie' and you can't get enough of the Tilt-O-Whirl, Yo-Yo swings, Zero Gravity, Pharo's Fury boat, Ring-O-Fire, bumper cars, carousel, Ferris wheel and more, you can hit them all up!
For more information on any of these East Texas fairs - hours, dates, admission, rides - click the bold fair name header.
Gregg County Fair
Longview
Friday, September 9th - Saturday, September 17th
evening hours
This fair got its start in 1949 by the Longview Jaycees. The Gregg County Fair also hosts the annual Miss Gregg County pageant and will feature pig races, a petting zoo, live entertainment nightly, and lots of family entertainment. Look for our stations to be there on the following nights:
Saturday, September 10th - 101.5 KNUE
Thursday, September 15th - 107-3 Kiss FM
Saturday, September 17th - Mix 93-1
Texas State Forest Festival
Lufkin
Thursday, September 15th - Sunday, September 18th
evening hours on weekdays and day hours on the weekend
Competitions are abundant at the Texas State Forest Festival along with the carnival rides and live shows featuring birds of prey and ax throwing, there's a 5k run, wood carving display, and so much more.
East Texas State Fair
Tyler
Friday, September 23rd - Sunday, October 2nd
afternoon hours on weekdays and day hours on the weekend
The mission of this East Texas tradition is to promote agriculture and education, create commerce and celebrate heritage. The East Texas State Fair also offers scholarships to East Texas students. This fair is packed with entertainment. This year the fair features a water stunt show, sea lion splash, hypnotist and many other shows in addition to live music, exhibits, a marketplace, rides, and carnival-style food and livestock shows.
Titus County Fair
Mt. Pleasant
Sunday, September 26th - Saturday, October 1st
hours vary, with activities and contests beginning Sunday and rides beginning Wednesday
This fair features a livestock show, numerous contests, commercial exhibits, youth academic contests, carnival rides, food and musical entertainment.
The State Fair Of Texas
Dallas
Friday, September 30th - Sunday, October 23rd
This is the biggest fair of them all! Big Tex welcomes millions of Texans to Fair Park in Dallas where fairgoers will get their fill of extreme fried foods, corn dogs, livestock shows, car shows, music, rides and so much more.
Pineywoods Fair
Nacogdoches
Wednesday, October 12th - Sunday, October 16th
evening hours on weekdays and day hours on the weekend
The Pineywoods Fair wraps up fair season in East Texas with an agricultural and livestock show featuring competitions highlighting swine, goats, lambs, rabbits, heifer and more. There are educational exhibits and competitions and topped off with carnival rides and lots of fair food. It's your last opportunity of the season to get all that fried goodness!