When you drive toward Fair Park on a fall weekend, the giant Ferris wheel comes into view from a distance. Then, the smell of frying oil wafts through the air. Ah, it's that time of year again.

The Texas State Fair ran for 24 days from September 25 to October 18, 2026. Today is the very last day.

Typically, the fair opens on the last Friday of September and continues for 24 days, which is the rhythm of this festival. This year marks the 140th event, making it a bit more significant.

At first, I thought it was just a big local market. A few rides, livestock exhibits, and food booths. But after visiting a few times, I realized it's not just a simple market.

The first thing that catches your eye is, of course, Big Tex. Near the entrance, the giant cowboy greets you with a hearty "Howdy," and it always brings a smile the first time you see him.

This figure first appeared at the fair in 1952. It's interesting to note that he was originally a large Santa sitting atop a department store in a small Texas town.

In October 2012, he was destroyed by an electrical fire at the end of the festival, and he was rebuilt the following year in 2013. The new Big Tex stands at 55 feet, slightly taller than before.

Seeing the symbol rebuilt just a year after it burned down gives you an idea of what the fair means to these people. I think that determination is quite admirable.

Behind Big Tex is the Texas Star, a Ferris wheel that stands 212 feet tall and began operating during the fair in 1985.

While Big Tex comes down after the festival, the Texas Star remains at Fair Park all year round. You can see it even when passing by, making it feel like a local landmark.

And now, we need to talk about the real star of the show: the fried food. There's a reason this festival is called a fried food paradise.

It all started with the corn dog. The Fletcher brothers began selling cornmeal-battered hot dogs at this fair in 1942, a decade before Big Tex.

Interestingly, it wasn't popular from the start. It didn't even have the name corn dog, and it took some time to gain traction.

Now, the line for Fletcher's corn dogs has become a part of the fair's landscape. When you see people walking around with a long squeeze of mustard, you think, "Ah, this is Texas."

The fried food culture really exploded in the 2000s. In 2006, Abel Gonzales Jr. introduced fried Coca-Cola, which was voted the most creative dish in that year's food competition.

How do you fry Coca-Cola? You make a round batter flavored like Coca-Cola and top it with Coca-Cola syrup and whipped cream. Just hearing about it makes your sugar levels rise.

This competition is now known as the Big Tex Choice Awards. This year marks the 22nd edition, and the winning dishes were announced in August.

This year's finalists included five savory dishes, five sweet dishes, and five beverages, totaling 15 entries. They were judged based on taste, value for money, appearance, and creativity.

The sweet category winner was Fletcher's chocolate corn dog. It's a dish where milk chocolate fudge is dipped in the famous corn dog batter, then fried and topped with vanilla icing and raspberry sauce.

I was most impressed that a business over 80 years old is still winning awards with new menu items. The fact that an old shop continues to experiment is more inspiring than any self-help book.

The savory category winner was the Tater Taco. It's a dish where a shell made of fried cheese and potatoes is filled with ground burger patty, priced at $16. Honestly, I paused a bit when I saw that number.

Still, I was glad that the admission price went down this year. For adults, it's $15 from Monday to Thursday and $25 from Friday to Sunday, with official parking also reduced to $25 a day, down by $5.

I thought about why everyone gets so excited about this short 24-day event. My conclusion is that this festival is like a ritual that marks the beginning of fall for Texans.

The heat has subsided, and it's the first time of year when it's okay to walk outside all day. With football games, livestock shows, and car exhibits all in one place, it's no wonder generations mix together.

There are many Korean families as well. Kids run toward the rides, while parents share corn dogs in the shade, which oddly resembles a Korean autumn sports day.

For someone like me who enjoys walking, it's a great day out. As you wander around Fair Park, your step count quickly adds up, so you convince yourself that having a fried item or two is just fine.

Of course, it's not something you eat every day. Once a year, I think it's okay to have this excuse.

For those who feel sad that today is the last day, mark the last Friday of September on your calendar for next year. If it were me, I'd go on a weekday evening, grab a corn dog, try a new menu item, and finish off with a ride on the Texas Star.