What has not already been said on the iconic Texas State Fair?

You would think with the same thing every year, people would be sick of Ferris wheels and fried Oreos but yet, the State Fair holds its own. According to the official fair website, 2,250,433 million unique visitors went to the fair last year; the second best in the fair’s history. It seems people just can’t get enough of good old American consumerism in the form of $10 funnel cakes and $5 corn dogs.

Maybe it’s the free tickets schools across Texas hand out like candy, which are only redeemable on weekdays. Every free weekday you’d be lucky to see the pavement through the sea of kids. Take advantage of the free tickets, no need to beat the crowds; the crowds are what make the fair the fair. Loud, hot and annoyed you can sprint toward any climate-controlled building after 5 minutes in the sun, clutching your $12 turkey leg.

The fried ice cream is the perfect treat for humid days and of course fried Oreos are a crowd favorite; the lines stretch for miles but that can be said about anything at the fair. The best deal would be the turkey leg. Some advice is not all turkey leg vendors sell at the same price. Take a look around before coming up to the first vendor you see but make sure you pay attention to the sizes as well.

Of course, you can’t go by yourself. The Texas State Fair is designed to be experienced with people you have fun with. It is a tradition of my friends to share a turkey leg six ways and pose at the same cardboard cutout of ice cream every year for the past three years. We laugh and remember old memories and make new ones. We talk about times we got lost in the train system and spent $20 on a ladder game to get a stuffed animal the size of my fist. It’s times like these with the neon lights of those rip-off arcades in your eyes, sounds of everyone around you, and that sweat on your brow because someone thought 90-degree weather was a good time to hold the fair that you really truly realize why the Texas State Fair is so amazing.

Indeed, there is a little bit for everyone every year at the state fair. Some highlights are the Chevrolet stage featuring free concerts for anyone who goes to the fair with the likes of Ludacris and Aaron Watson There is also an archery range and a dog show. For car guys, giants such as Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, RAM and Nissan present new products like the 2020 KIA Telluride. The massive car showroom has every car imaginable to climb inside.

To get to the fair I recommend avoiding the parking lots and instead lean toward taking the trains. The DART system takes you right up to the gates of the fair for a $2.50 all day flat rate. The parking lots at the stations are always free. And after you’ve had your share of fried foods the bus can take you to go get a salad in downtown Dallas.

Be quick, the fair ends on Oct. 21, so grab your friends or that special someone before you have to wait another year to spend $2 for a bottle of water. Say hi to Big Tex one more time and stay to see the neon lights of the arcade after dark. Throw a ring at a bottle in a rigged game and laugh about it. Wait in the line at the Ferris wheel and see the night come alive as your cart gets higher and higher.

But that’s just part of the experience. Expensive foods and hot weather with a crowd of thousands of people is just what you’d expect at any fair. Imagine going to see Big Tex and being able to extend your arms without hitting anyone in front of you, it just wouldn’t be the fair if it were not crowded. There is something about the atmosphere that keeps me keep going back.