Your ticket to the annual State Fair of Texas is your ticket to Texas-sized fun, but did you know you’re simultaneously contributing to a cause as big as Texas? While you’re indulging in your favorite fair foods, riding a ride or playing a game on the Midway, or shopping to find the perfect memento, you’re directly supporting the Fair’s nonprofit mission! As a nonprofit organization, the annual State Fair is our largest community program and fundraising event each year. The funds we raise during the 24 days go towards numerous community-based initiatives, including Big Tex Urban Farms, the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Programs, and maintenance and upkeep of our home for 139 years, Fair Park. Below are just a handful of ways your fun day at the Fair spreads support far and wide across the Lone Star State.
Small Businesses
The annual State Fair of Texas comprises a vast collection of small businesses that set their own prices– more than 90 concessionaires, and more than 200 exhibitors come together to celebrate all things Texan by offering quality products for fairgoers. These businesses operate all 24 days of the Fair, sure to have the perfect product that will catch your eye… or your stomach!
In addition, the State Fair’s Big Tex Business Masterclass, is a dynamic educational series for small business owners and entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry produced by the State Fair of Texas. The program aims to take existing businesses and educate them on implementing successful business operations and disciplines while creating an environment for networking and providing opportunities for growth and exposure. Completion of the program is not an automatic acceptance to the State Fair of Texas, but it allows a behind-the-scenes view and insight into what it takes to be a food and beverage vendor at the Most Texan Place on Earth®.
Texas Students
Supported by community leaders and local businesses, the annual Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction is a representation of the extreme dedication put forth by the youth exhibitors participating, along with the planning and efforts of the passionate individuals who organize the event. The Auction is considered the heart and soul of the State Fair’s nonprofit mission pillars of agriculture and education. The students who earn a spot in the Auction get to sell their animals to the highest bidder. Students then receive a previously determined maximum payment – or premium – for their animal, with excess proceeds put towards supporting more Texas students through the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Programs. The Programs benefit students who have competed in youth livestock events at the State Fair, as well as students attending high schools in the Fair Park area. Through the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Programs, the State Fair has awarded more than $21.4 million in auction awards and scholarships since 2018. Visit BigTex.com/Agriculture for more information.
Additionally, since its establishment in 1992, the Big Tex® Scholarship Program has continued to uphold the State Fair’s nonprofit mission of supporting agriculture, education, and community involvement. We are proud to announce another year of supporting Texas students through scholarships towards furthering their education, with the State Fair of Texas awarding more than $1.3 million in new college scholarships this year. In its 33-year history, the Big Tex Scholarship Program has awarded scholarships to more than 3,700 students for a program total of more than $20.1 million. Visit BigTex.com/Scholarship for more information.
Community Programs
The State Fair hosts several community events throughout the year with the goal of bringing South Dallas nonprofits together to share resources and build their social capital. The largest of these events is our Big Tex Community Engagement Days. In 2024, Community Engagement Day returned with great success, drawing over 960 attendees across four sessions, with more than 300 joining us during the Fair to learn and network with like-minded community members. Other events include the annual Pastors Luncheon, Juanita Craft Humanitarian Awards, Next Fest, Farm Day at the Fair, and more. Visit BigTex.com/Community for more information.
Additionally, the State Fair of Texas’ Community Giving Program offers opportunities for local nonprofits to receive financial support during dedicated cycles throughout the year. In 2024, 133 organizations received more than $652,000 in project funding through grants and sponsorships. As a neighbor in the South Dallas/Fair Park community, we are committed to supporting nonprofits providing services in this area and understand that these organizations, like ours, depend on year-round generosity from citizens, volunteers, and other organizations. Learn more at BigTex.com/Grants.
Food Insecurity
Introduced in 2016, the State Fair’s horticulture-based community initiative, Big Tex Urban Farms, is comprised of planting beds and hydroponic systems housed in the heart of Fair Park. Big Tex Urban Farms has had a significant impact on our surrounding community’s health and nutrition and has made its unique model of sustainable urban farming known throughout the state, nation, and world. As South Dallas is a designated USDA Food Desert, 100% of the produce grown is donated to local community organizations or initiatives. As of 2025, the Farms has surpassed more than 1.8 million servings donated. Learn more at BigTex.com/BTUF.
Also, in tandem with our largest community program and fundraiser of the year, the State Fair of Texas, we upkeep annual Fair-time community initiatives like “Feed the Need” and Ag Awareness Day, with efforts shared between fairgoers and staff. Fairgoers came together to donate more than 198,000 pounds of canned food during our 2024 “Feed the Need” promotion, which equated to 165,363 meals for the North Texas Food Bank to serve the community that fall. Additionally, our Ag Awareness Day gathered more than 200 4-H, FFA, and FCCLA chapters to participate in the canned food drive, donating more than 30,000 pounds of food to the North Texas Food Bank.
Historic Preservation
The State Fair of Texas has proudly called Fair Park home since 1886, and with that comes a deep responsibility to preserve and protect this National Historic Landmark. When you visit the Fair each fall, a portion of your ticket goes directly toward maintaining and improving Fair Park’s beloved art deco architecture, historic landmarks, and public spaces.
From restoring murals and fountains to supporting structural upkeep and beautification projects, the State Fair helps ensure that Fair Park remains a cultural treasure for generations to come. These preservation efforts not only safeguard Texas history and help preserve Fair Park’s beauty for the annual State Fair event, but they also help to preserve a year-round destination for community gatherings, cultural events, concerts, sporting events, and educational programming.
By attending the Fair, you are helping protect the legacy of one of Dallas’s most iconic destinations and ensuring that its history continues to inspire Texans and visitors from around the world.
When you have fun at the State Fair for 24 days each fall, it allows the State Fair to reinvest back into the community 365 days per year. In 2024 alone, the State Fair’s philanthropic and Fair Park giving totaled nearly $19.5 million. We greatly appreciate your support, so we want to repay the favor and support you! Visit BigTex.com/Discounts to find several ways to get the best bang for your buck at the State Fair. No matter your budget or the size of your family, we want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy the full State Fair experience. Through our partners, we offer discounts that will help you save at the gate and around the park. For even more discounts, pick up a Visitor’s Guide on your way inside the park at any hospitality center or guest relations location, and find the “Everyday Values” section, as well as the hundreds of activities spread throughout the fairgrounds during all 24 days of the State Fair, FREE with your admission ticket. Start planning your visit at BigTex.com/Plan.
Celebrating all things Texan is central to the State Fair’s nonprofit mission, and the year-round work we do in our community would not be possible without the support of our loyal fairgoers, Tex Team Members, donors, volunteers, and sponsors. Running until October 19, we invite you to join us at the Most Texan Place on Earth this fall. Whether you’re a first-timer or marking your 50th visit to the great State Fair of Texas, we hope you find yourself enjoying the Fair air even more than anticipated, knowing you play a key role in giving back to your fellow Texans!
The 2025 State Fair of Texas runs through Sunday, October 19.