The State Fair of Texas is down to its last week, and this year it has something to prove.
Last fall was rough. The 2025 Fair drew 2,020,064 people, roughly 400,000 fewer than the year before, and that was the lowest turnout in at least eight years. Fair officials blamed the economy and the heat. Fairgoers mostly blamed their receipts. Social media was full of price complaints that October, and families told reporters they had stayed home because they simply could not afford a day at Fair Park.
Fair president Mitchell Glieber went before the Dallas City Council afterward and said pricing would be a priority for 2026. The Fair only controls admission and parking. Vendors set their own prices for food and games. Still, you can see the effort this year.
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