Yee-haw!  The State Fair of Texas is a ton of fun, but it can also be a huge drain on your budget. And if you’re taking your entire crew, you can easily drop nearly $100 before you even walk through the gates!
Watch my Good Morning Texas segment for some ways to help you save a little cash when you say “Howdy” to Big Tex, plus scroll down and enter to WIN a Family 4-Pack of Tickets!!!Â
Thrifty Thursdays is back again this year and fair food fanatics will love the deep discounts on signature menu items, like the classics, cotton candy and funnel cakes, and other popular items like Frito pie, tornado taters, Fletcher’s Bird Dog and many more.
Here’s just an example of the discounts you’ll see (keep in mind, coupons are $.50 each):
Full Size Fletcher’s Turkey Dog
Regularly: 10 CouponsÂ
Special Price: 6 Coupons
Whole Carmel Apple
Reg: 8 Coupons
Special Price: 4 Coupons
Regular Size Nachos
Regularly: 14 Coupons
Special Price: 8 Coupons
Small Chopped Brisket Sandwich
Reg: 18 Coupons
Special Price: 9 Coupons
Go HERE for a complete list of discounted Thrifty Thursdays items.
New this year, they’re offering print-at-home and mobile tickets which will save you some time when entering the park. You can also order coupons in $50 sheets online and receive a voucher to pick them up at the NEW Hospitality Centers located inside the park.
Here are the best 2016 deals on tickets combo packs:Â
Also, sign up to become a Big Tex Insider and you’ll receive ticket discounts, merchandise promotions, and a special message from the big guy on your birthday!
Here’s the list of all daily deals and discounts available for admission tickets:
Dasani – Opening Day, Sept. 30th
Bring an unopened 20 oz. bottle of Dasani water (or any Coca-Cola product) for donation to the North Texas Food Bank and get a coupon for HALF PRICE admission ($9 for adults, $7 for kids) on opening day.
OneMain Financial – Military Appreciation Day, Sept. 30
On Opening Day, Friday, September 30th,  all active military, retired military and veterans receive FREE admission when they present valid documentation of military service at the gate. Spouses and accompanying children under the age of 18 also receive FREE admission.
First Responders Day – Friday, October 14, 2016. FREE admission to for all first responders when they present a valid badge or ID card from their department or organization, plus up to three admission tickets for their family members. Valid documentation must be presented at the gate. Offer and ticket valid only Friday, October 14, 2016.
NorthPark Center –Â Any Day Discount
Purchase advanced tickets for $15 ($3 off the price of admission at the door). The best part — $5 from each ticket will be given directly to the Assist the Officer Foundation which provides financial assistance to officers who are facing the loss of income due to a serious injury, life-threatening illness or other catastrophic event and immediate assistance to an officer’s family in the event of the death of an active officer. Purchase tickets at the NorthPark Center Concierge, located on Level One near Neiman Marcus.
Dickies – With any $50 purchase at the Ft. Worth, TX retail location, customers receive (2) FREE admission tickets. While supplies last, limited to one offer per transaction. The passes do not include parking, and customers receive the passes at the time of purchase. Offer not valid online.
Kroger – Advanced General Admission / Season Passes
General Admission tickets are $16.50. A Season Pass is $34.95. They may be purchased at the check-out counter or at the service desk. The season pass includes a one-day companion ticket (good Monday-Friday).
DART GoPass – Any Day Discount
You’ll get $2 off each ticket State Fair of Texas admission ticket from your DART GoPass app. That’ll make adult tickets $16 and child/senior tickets $12. You can also buy a DART pass to the Fair and avoid paying $15 for parking {gulp}! Both your DART pass and your Fair tickets will be right there on your phone ready to be scanned at the gates. Go here for more info.
Plus, with the DART GoPass, you’ll have a special entrance and can by-pass the long line of people waiting to purchase their tickets and go through the gate!
McDonald’s – Any Day Discount
McDonald’s is offering $5 off general admission tickets or HALF OFF a children’s tickets (with purchase of general admission) any day of the Fair. Look for the coupon on tray liner or bag stuffer.
Walgreen’s– Any Day Discount
Purchase advance General Admission tickets for $16.50 at the check-out counter or at the service desk at any local Walgreen.
Can Food Drive – Any Wednesday
Bring 4 cans of food for donation to the North Texas Food Bank any Wednesday of the Fair and receive a coupon for a $4 admission ticket. Enjoy the Fair for just $4 and help stock the North Texas Food Bank.
Senior Day  – Any Thursday
Senior Citizens 60 years and older get in to the State Fair FREE each Thursday.
Dr Pepper $5 – Any Tuesday
Bring an empty Dr Pepper can and enter for $5. Most rides (excluding the Thrillway and the Texas Star) are 6 coupons on Tuesday, too!
Dr Pepper Half Price after 5 – Any day after 5 p.m.
Bring an empty Dr Pepper can and enter for $9 after 5 p.m.
Coca-Cola – Coke $6 Thursday
Bring an empty 20 oz. bottle of a Coca-Cola product and enter the Fair for $6 admission.
KISS-FM Fridays – Any Friday
Download and print the coupon from the KISS-FM website to get $5 off admission..making it $13!  Discount is off of general admission only – when purchased at a State Fair of Texas admission gate with coupon.
***BEWARE** Monday, Oct. 10th is FAIR DAY for area students. It’s a school holiday and all school-aged kids will receive FREE admission tickets from their schools. THIS IS USUALLY A VERY BUSY DAY, SO AVOID IT IF YOU DON’T HAVE KIDS! 
The fairgrounds are over 400 acres!  Little legs will be zapped in no time, so don’t forget a stroller or wagon.  Plus, you’ll have a place to store all your goodies. Wagons and strollers are available to rent for $10-$15, but there are limited quantities and reservations need to be made 24 hours in advance.
Here are my boys over TEN years ago (sniff, sniff). There’s no way I would’ve ever taken on the massive fair without a stroller!
Be sure to check out the Food and Fiber building where you’ll find FREE samples of smoothies, pickles, ice cream, and Davis Mountain Nut Company.
And if all those discounts aren’t enough, here’s your chance to WIN a State Fair of Texas Family 4-Pack of General Admission Tickets! Enter your name and email address below, then follow the instructions….
Also, Ad Pages is giving away over 500 tickets! Just go HERE and enter your email address and zip code to register to Win FOUR Tickets to THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS!Â
You’ll get up to 3 extra entries when you share with your friends on Facebook!
Yay!!
The corny dog is a must have!
I always attend on one of the days of donating food items… I LOVE supporting the North TX Food Bank. I voluneer there also several times a year. Thanks for the opportunity to do what I love and also being able to have fun at the State Fair.
Love!!
Can’t wait til the fair opens!!
My favorite activity is being at the midway with my family!
Favorite food is definitely corn dogs! 🙂
I love the fair! I bought a spa last year and love it EVERY NIGHT since
Family
I want to win that 4 pack. My daughter has transferred back home from college and my son lives with me and my guy loves the auto show. We can’t wait to go. I’m a retired teacher and would love for all of us to go the fair one crisp fall day.
The state fair is one of my absolute favorite things in the world!!! You can’t not love the Fletcher’s corny dog and fried Oreos!
It’s the yearly fried food inventions. Amazingly creative.
You can’t have just one favorite fair food! Funnel cakes, turkey legs and corn dogs are all calling my name!
It’s an annual tradition for my family and I to go!! My favorite time of year!!
Hope I am doing this right :/
My favorite food is the corny dog!
Favorite food is funnel cakes!
Woohoo!!! Love the fair.
Excited to go for the first time!
Favorite fair food Fletcher Corn Dogs. But, this is the only event that my 58 year old mentally disable brother looks forward to coming to. So it has become a family tradition. He loves Big Tex.
Can’t go to the fair and not have a corny dog!!
I love fried oreos and funnel cakes! Looking forward to trying Sutter’s Taffy!
begian waffles are our family tradition!
The favorite fair food I remember trying is the deep fried red velvet cupcake.
I must get a corny dog and try the winning dish each year!
Thanks for chance!! My family loves fair time!
My favorite fair activity is going for the food and seeing the vendors and shows.
The car show is my favorite activity. 🙂
Fletcher’s Corny Dog, Cotton Candy and Fried Snickers.
My favorite thing to do is check out the car show and then buy a Fletcher’s corn dog.
Need a ride to the fair?
Lyft has $50 ride credit for you!
enter promo code – TEXAS STATE FAIR
or click this link to download to your phone.
https://www.lyft.com/invite/TEXASSTATEFAIR
#statefair #texasstatefair #fairoftexas #bigtex #midway #dallas #DFW #BIGD
I love eating fair food every year! I look forward to trying out the new creations! And my husband loves the car show!
I love the fair! I grew up going every year! I always have to get a corn dog and cotton candy. I haven’t been able to go the last few years, so I’m hoping to go this year with my husband and our kids 🙂
The miniature trains
Having moved to the DFW area a year and a half ago, I actually haven’t been to the Texas State Fair yet! Looking forward to exploring it!
The first thing after entering we head straight to Fletcher’s Corny Dogs and then to the auto exhibit. No trip to the fair is complete without a ride on the Texas Star.
We love the fair! My kids love the rides on the Kids Boardwalk. We all love the green house. And of course you can’t leave without a corny dog!
The Texas Agriculture Building has a wonderful store with Texas made items…
My whole family loves the State Fair of Texas!
My kids love the corn dogs!
I love the pineapple pina colada!!!
Pig races!
My mother who is 82 loves the Greenhouse. She is in very poor health and I look forward to taking her for what might be OUR last time. She is beyond excited. She also loves her funnel cakes. My sister from Georgia is coming to celebrate what probably will be our last trip as a family. I need these tickets!
One of our fondest family traditions is going, all of us together, every single year, to the State Fair. We always take a picture of the “kids” (now grown) sitting in front of the fountains on the Esplanade, and splurge on corny dogs & funnel cake.