People from across the country come out to enjoy opening day of State Fair of Texas
DALLAS - The great State Fair of Texas opened Friday, and no one seemed to mind the temperature in the mid-90s, as people found ways to have a good time.
Everybody loves a parade, especially when it officially opens the fair.
"This is so cool, I love it," mother and daughter Maggie and Angelica Ontiveros said.
A parade complete with beauty queens, marching bands, and little Big Tex.
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Big Tex is back in his spot and ready to say, "Howdy, folks!" The State Fair of Texas opens Friday afternoon.
"I came for the fair. I saw it on the Food Network a year ago and I came for the fair," Robin Wright said.
Wright, who is from Fort Myers, Florida, said state fair food wet her appetite.
"They just was talking about all the fried food, and I was like, I got to go," she said.
Last year, two and a half million passed through the fairgrounds. This year, the organizers hope over three million make it.
Jose and Raquel Quintanilla have been state fair season pass holders for the past ten years, and they got to enjoy their first corny dog of this year.
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A study by Carnival Warehouse ranks the State Fair of Texas the No. 1 fair in the country.
It's a place where memories are made.
Southwest Airlines employees enjoyed the fair's first day.
Traditions continued, like selfies with Big Tex.
"He's world famous. We do it every year. I'm 46 years old and I’ve been here since I was 20, so 26 years now I’ve been coming to state fair," Danny Daniell said.
Sisters who live across the country come together every September for opening day.
[REPORTER: "So what do you come for?"]
"Corny dogs and creative arts," they said.
There’s also the Midway, featuring rides of all kinds and games where people can take your best shot.
For 24 days, food and fun for everyone while raising millions for college scholarships.
The first weekend of the fair punctuated with the State Fair Classic college football game pitting Grambling State University, from Louisiana, against Prairie View A&M University.
Both schools have players from North Texas, along with and alumni here. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday.