all's fair

How to get every possible discount at the 2023 State Fair of Texas

The 2023 State Fair of Texas starts on Friday, September 29.

Photo by Jason Hays

The 2023 State Fair of Texas starts its 24-day run at Fair Park on September 29, bringing with it music, games, food, and more.

But there are a multitude of discount ticket options offered by the State Fair and other groups, meaning there's no reason you should ever pay full price.

Single day ticket prices differ by the day, going for $15 for adults, $10 for kids 3-12 and seniors 60 and over Monday-Thursday; $20 for adults, $15 for kids 3-12 and seniors 60 and over on Fridays; and $25 for adults, $18 for kids 3-12 and seniors 60 and over on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are only valid for a pre-selected date. You can get $10 tickets on Tuesdays and Thursdays by using the code 23CULTUREMAP.

Premium one-day admission, valid any day of the Fair, are $24 and allow you to choose the day you want to attend. The most flexible ticket option is available for purchase exclusively online at BigTex.com/Tickets.

Two and four-pack combos for premium tickets with Food and Midway coupons are also available, starting at less than $100. You can get $15 off the two-pack combo or $30 off the four-pack combo by using the special CultureMap code 23MAPPACK.

SEASON PASS
One of the best ways to save is by purchasing a State Fair of Texas Season Pass. Available online at BigTex.com/Tickets for only $50, season passes include admission for all 24 days, as well as a variety of special benefits, like one free single-day bring-a-friend ticket (valid Monday-Friday only); a State Fair reusable bag (available to the first 5,000 season pass holders to redeem) a 10 percent off coupon on State Fair gear at official merchandise stores; and more.

Opening Day – Friday, September 29
Bring two jars of peanut butter to donate to the North Texas Food Bank for a special promotion and receive $10 admission at the gate.

Dr Pepper Value Days
Taking place every Tuesday and Thursday of the Fair, you can purchase admission online for a reduced price of only $10 on Dr Pepper Value Days. Fairgoers must be a Big Tex Insider to receive the promotion code, sign up now at BigTex.com/Insider.

North Texas Food Bank, Feed the Need
Every Wednesday of the Fair, visitors have the best discount opportunity to save big AND give back to the community. By bringing five canned food items, fairgoers will receive admission for only $5. All canned donations go to the North Texas Food Bank, which helps feed members of the community.

Senior Day
Every Thursday, senior citizens 60 years and older receive admission to the Fair for only $5.

Discount after 5 pm
On any night of the week, visitors receive reduced general admission after 5 pm. No matter your age, all guests pay the child price after 5 pm.

McDonald's coupons
Discount coupons are available at participating McDonald’s locations throughout North Texas on tray liners and inside their meal bags. With this coupon, any fairgoer can save $5 off on weekdays (Monday-Friday) and $7 off on weekends (Saturday-Sunday).

DART Discount
In addition to being able to use the GoPass app to take DART right to the front gates of Fair Park, guests can receive $5 off fair admission Monday-Friday, or $7 off on Saturdays and Sundays, by using the promo code 23DART when purchasing tickets on the State Fair website.

Military Appreciation Day presented by Chevrolet
All active military, retired military, and veterans save $5 off on weekdays (Monday-Friday) and $7 off on weekends (Saturday-Sunday) when they present valid documentation of military service at the gate or online. Spouses of service men and women with a valid Military Spouse ID and accompanying children under the age of 18 also receive discounted admission.

First Responders Discount
The State Fair is thanking the country’s first responders by honoring various active and retired public law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and other emergency services agencies. All first responders can save $5 off on weekdays (Monday-Friday) and $7 off on weekends (Saturday-Sunday) when they present a valid badge or ID card from their department or organization at the gate or online. Spouses of first responders and accompanying children under the age of 18 also receive discounted admission.

4-Coupon Tuesdays
Discounts extend to the Midway for 4-Coupon Tuesdays. Most rides on the Midway are 4 coupons, with Kiddie rides discounted to 3 coupons on Tuesdays. Excludes the Thrillway and the Texas Star Ferris Wheel.

Thrifty Thursday Discounted Food Program
Every Thursday of the Fair, guests can save while snacking, as participating food vendors offer one of their signature menu items at a reduced price, ranging from mini versions to regular-size items.

festivals state-fair

Amusement Park Fun

Six Flags Over Texas launches new roller coaster with a 285-foot drop

Riders on Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas

CultureMap took a ride on Tormenta before it opens to the public.

Six Flags Over Texas will officially open its anticipated new roller coaster, Tormenta Rampaging Run, on Thursday, July 9, and CultureMap and other media and VIPs were given early access to experience the ride's intense thrills before its public debut.

The new coaster boasts several records — as the tallest, fastest, longest, and first-ever giga (300+-foot-tall) dive coaster in the world, topping out at 309 feet just before it sends riders plunging into a beyond-vertical, 95-degree, 285-foot drop. We take you along for the ride in the following video:

Each car of the coaster features three rows of seats with eight seats per row, servicing 24 riders at a time. During the preview event, two cars were sent out in staggered sessions, but a third car sat close by to be used if needed.

The ride's rodeo theme is strong, with multiple posters advertising fictional rodeos and a metallic gate swinging open at the start to let the ~~bull~~ car pass through.

To paraphrase Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, the first part is a doozy, as riders are click-clacked up a steep stretch forcing them to look straight up into the sky.

The ever-so-brief pause at top affords a view of the surrounding city, the rest of Six Flags, and, in the distance, the downtown Dallas skyline. The angle feels like you're above those towering skyscrapers even though logic tells you that you aren't.

The initial plunge tests the mettle of even hardcore roller coaster fans, sending riders through the extreme drop before hurtling them into two large loops and a corkscrew before coming to another brief stop.

The 95-degree, 285-foot drop of Tormenta Rampaging Run. Photo courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas

That stop gives riders only a small reprieve before they're shot through two smaller loops and a sharp right curve before — mercifully — coming to a jolting halt as the coaster car is shuttled back into the loading station.

From start to finish, the ride lasts around 2 minutes and 45 seconds, but the first 75 seconds is spent just getting to the start of the main portion of the coaster.

All told, the drops, loops, and other elements lasts exactly one minute, which is not that long, but the time-to-thrill ratio is still high.

Misting fans and pergolas at Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas. Misting fans and pergolas will help keep riders cool while waiting in line for Tormenta.Photo by Alex Bentley

Even during the brutal heat of the Texas summer, visitors should expect lines to be long for the hot new ride. The corrals close to the ride have scattered pergolas and umbrellas for shade, as well as oscillating fans with misters. Once you reach the completely covered top platform, there are a number of ceiling fans, although they do little to stave off the high humidity.

Opinions will differ as to whether a long wait time for a short ride is worth it, but for those who get their kicks trying out the latest and greatest roller coasters, Tormenta Rampaging Run is a great new addition to the 65-year-old amusement park.

The grand opening for Tormenta is Thursday, July 9 at Six Flags Over Texas. The park is open daily through August 16.

kids families openings six flags over texas amusement parks

all's fair

How to get every possible discount at the 2023 State Fair of Texas

New Heights pizzeria reveals intimate 16-seat upstairs cocktail bar

Chef Austin Simmons dishes on his newly-opened Woodlands restaurant

Houston shocks as one of 10 worst big cities for first-time homebuyers

Amusement Park Fun

Six Flags Over Texas launches new roller coaster with a 285-foot drop