Four old friends headed back to Fair Park for our annual girls’ day at the State Fair recently. Ok, it’s been a while since we were girls, but that’s still how we refer to our special Fair day. It’s always meant “no boyfriends or husbands allowed.” This year we went the first Monday, and that will be our Fair day from now on. It’s not as crowded as other week days, (and weekend crowds are not for us). But on the first Monday, the lines were shorter, and in some cases non-existent.
We were shocked but thrilled to find No Lines at All at our traditional first stop, the Fletcher’s Original Corny Dog stand on Big Tex Circle. That had never happened before! Once we had our Corny dogs in tow, we knew better than to stand in the hot sun like teenagers or tourists, dripping mustard into trash cans while eating our corny dogs. We migrated instead to the nearest shady table where we could dine in a more leisurely manner. Age and experience bring wisdom and good manners even to Fair-goers.
State Fair Food Trail
Our next stop on the Fried Food trail was the new Eataly booth, where we tried several items: Texamisu (a yummy, richer-than-a-milkshake drink), and four (or one each) fried carbonara pasta cakes with sauce. IMO, these were the best new foods we tried that day. We also shared a Pop-Elotes from the Nevins Hot Buttered Corn Booth, an interesting combo of popcorn and spices that somehow resembled creamy and savory Mexican street corn.
If you’re getting the idea we mostly meandered from food vendor to food vendor, that’s exactly what we did this year. We laughed as we reminisced about Fair days spent with kids and families where we rode rollercoasters, bumper cars, and other thrill rides. We weren’t interested in spending our prized coupons on rides; on Girls’ Day, we combine all our coupons for food, and nothing but food.
Tower Building Food Court
Our last foodie trail adventure for the day ended in the Tower Building. The huge food court contains myriad booths and smells that entice Fair-goers to stop right there. Their AC was an especially appealing feature, since the outside temps were now in the 90s. We each brought a favorite item for a joint tasting, with mine the spicy Guac-A-Rrons from Tony’s Taco Shop. (Tony’s is also the vendor for the 2025 Best Taste Sweet Award-winning Chill & Thrill Delight).
My friends bought old familiar standards like Frito’s Chili Pie, fried banana pudding, and Shug’s cinnamon rolls. I think there was even more food on the table, but at this point I had to throw down my fork and call it quits! We did manage to make our way through a few exhibit halls, especially those with air-conditioning like the Auto and Centennial Buildings.
Latino Arts Project’s Mundo Latino at Hall of State
The Hall of State, where the Latino Arts Project is hosting Mundo Latino, was especially interesting. The film festival showcases the work of Dallas-based filmmaker Merced Elizondo, whose 16-minute short film “The Mourning Of” has qualified for an Oscar® award. It’s the story of a woman grieving the loss of her mother by secretly attending strangers’ funerals until her inability to move on catches up with her.
Ten additional films by Latin American directors and writers, with five of them from Cara Mia Theatre in Dallas, are featured in the festival. Latino Arts Project founder Juan Baldor invites Fair-goers to take a relaxing break in the air-conditioned Hall of State basement auditorium to watch the films. They screen from 10:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily through the run of the Fair. For more information about the great State Fair of Texas, including free entertainment, exhibits, food trails, Midway rides, and so much more, visit bigtex.org.
Fair-style Food at Maple Leaf Diner
If you’re unable–for whatever reason–to attend the State Fair of Texas this year, you don’t have to miss out on tasty Fair-style food. Maple Leaf Diner, the popular Canadian diner in North Dallas, offers Fair-like specials now through Oct. 19, (plus free parking and no admission fee). New menu items include Buffalo Fried Cheese Curd Five Cheese on Texas Toast ($11.99); and Pickle Lemonade “Dill-Lemon” ($4.99). Old favorite Fair-type foods include Cotton Candy Mimosa ($8); Carnival Burger ($15.99); and Fried Oreos (5 in an order, $7.99). For more info, please visit mldiner.com.
