Don't pay retail

How to get tickets for the 2024 State Fair of Texas at a discount

The State Fair of Texas runs from September 27 to October 20.

Photo by Kevin Brown

The 2024 annual State Fair of Texas debuts on September 27, starting a three-week run through October 20 with rides, fried food, music, and fun.

Given the amount of money visitors are likely to spend inside the gates, it's smart to try to save money on admission into the Fair. That's where we come in: Below you will find every possible way to get a discount on tickets for the 2024 event.

Prices for single day tickets (which go on sale on September 16) vary by the day.

If you go on a weekday, prices at the gate are $10 for kids 3-12 and seniors, and $15 for adults. That bumps up to $15 and $20 on Fridays and $18 and $25 on Saturdays and Sundays. If you can wait until 5 pm, adults can get in for the price of a kids ticket, a savings of up to $7.

If you're not sure what day of the week you want to go, the Fair also offers Premium Tickets for $24 that are good on any day, giving at least a saving of $1 for adults on weekends (premium tickets are also available in two- and four-pack combos that include $50 worth of food, ride, and game tickets.).

The Season Pass is a great option for those who know they'll be attending multiple times. This option is available for $60, which pays for itself after three visits if you're an adult. The season pass also includes two vouchers for $5 off parking, one Bring-A-Friend ticket, $10 off State Fair Merchandise with any $50 Purchase, and more goodies.

Premium tickets and season passes are now available at BigTex.com/Tickets, and CultureMap has some special deals for our readers.

When you use code 24mapCOMBO, you will receive $24 off a Season Pass & Coupon 2-pack or $24 off a Premium Ticket & Coupon 4-pack.

You can also save $12 off a Premium Ticket & coupon 2-pack (along with the $24 off a Premium Ticket & Coupon 4-pack) when you use promo code 24mapPACK.

But those are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the discounts you can get on certain special days during the Fair:

Peanut Butter Drive Opening Day (Friday, September 27) - Anyone who brings two jars of peanut butter to donate to the North Texas Food Bank will receive $10 admission at the gate.
Dr Pepper Value Days – Big Tex Insiders (aka those who sign up to get e-mails from the State Fair ) can purchase tickets online for $10 on Dr Pepper Value Days, which is every Tuesday and Thursday of the Fair. To receive the promotion code, sign up at BigTex.com/Insider. (Or, psst, you can also use the code 24cultureMAP to get the same deal.)
North Texas Food Bank, Feed the Need: Every Wednesday of the Fair, visitors can bring five canned food items to 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 of the Fair, senior citizens 60 years and older receive admission to the Fair for only $5.
McDonald's coupons: Discount coupons are available at participating McDonald’s locations throughout Dallas-Fort Worth on tray liners and inside meal bags, giving a savings of $5 on any day of the week.
Military Appreciation Day sponsored by Chevrolet: All active duty military, retired military, and veterans save $5 off any day 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: All first responders get the same discount of $5 off on any day 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.
Ride DART or TRE and save: Not only can DART take you right to the front gate of Fair Park instead of having to deal with parking, you can enter the promo code 24DARTSAVE when purchasing your fair admission on the State Fair’s website and receive $5 off admission any day of the week. Those coming from Fort Worth can ride TRE and get the same discount from the GoPass app.
Group Tickets and Corporate Discount Program: If you're planning on bringing a big group or your company to the Fair, they offer unspecified deals for both; go to BigTex.com for more information.

In addition to ticket discounts, you can also save on rides on Thrilling Tuesdays, when most rides on the Midway are four coupons, with kiddie rides discounted to three coupons on Tuesdays (exceptions include the Thrillway and the Texas Star Ferris Wheel).

If food savings are what you're after, Thrifty Thursdays give you a chance to try signature menu items at participating food vendors at a reduced price, ranging from mini versions to regular-size items.

Finally, for all the hoarders out there, check your drawers for old Food and Midway Coupons from past Fairs. Those coupons are good for this and all future Fairs, and as of 2023, you can use them on food, rides, AND for games.

And that's not all! Bookmark this page, as we will add other ticket discounts announced by various State Fair partners in the days and weeks leading up to the start of the biggest annual event on the Dallas calendar.

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Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum, San Antonio, tejano music

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Roger Hernandez serves as board president of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum.

For a city that proudly calls itself the capital of Tejano music, San Antonio has long been missing a permanent place to honor the genre’s pioneers and preserve its history. That gap officially closed In December with the opening of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum at 1414 Fredericksburg Rd.

The music couldn’t have found a better steward than its founder and board president. Roger Hernandez has had his finger on the pulse of Tejano music for decades. His company, En Caliente Productions, has provided a platform for countless performing artists and songwriters in Tejano, conjunto, and regional Mexican music since 1982.

Hernandez says his wife, who ran a shop at Market Square years ago, would often get questions from visitors about the location of a physical Tejano music museum, a thing that simply did not exist. In 2022, he banded together with friends, family, and other local Tejano music supporters to make the nonprofit Hall of Fame a reality.

“I decided I've been in the music scene for over 40 years, it's time to do a museum,” Hernandez recalls.

Hernandez says a brick-and-mortar Tejano music museum has long been needed to remember musical acts and other individuals who grew the genre across Texas and northern Mexico, especially those who are aging. Recently, the community lost famed Tejano music producer Manny Guerra and Abraham Quintanilla, the renowned Tejano singer/songwriter and father of the late superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Both deaths occurred roughly one week after the Totally Tejano museum opened to the public.

“They're all dying. They're all getting older, and we need to acknowledge all these people,” Hernandez says.

The Totally Tejano Museum — named after Hernandez’s Totally Tejano Television Roku streaming — has 5,000 square feet of space packed with plaques, photos, promotional posters, musical instruments, and other memorabilia honoring the pioneers and stars of the beloved genre. Mannequins wear stage outfits from icons like Laura Canales and Flaco Jimenez, and a wall of photos remembers late greats. Totally Tejano Television plays legendary performances on a loop, bringing the exhibits to life.

The newly opened Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum includes a growing collection of memorabilia. Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Hernandez says the museum will soon welcome permanent and rotating exhibits, including traveling shows, a Hall of Fame section, and an area paying homage to Chicano music crossovers, such as the late Johnny Rodriguez, the South Texas singer-songwriter who blended country with Tex-Mex music. Plans call for the organization to hold its inaugural Hall of Fame induction in February 2026.

Eventually, a 2,000 square feet back room will be converted into additional display space and host industry gatherings, community symposiums, and record and video release parties. The museum also plans to add a gift and record shop and a music learning room where visitors can listen to early Tejano music and browse archival photos. Hernandez is already talking with local school districts about educational field trips.

Much like Tejano itself, the museum is a grassroots production. Hernandez and fellow board members have used their own money to rent, renovate, develop, and maintain the museum space. The board also leads the selection of the Hall of Fame honorees and curates the exhibits.

Hernandez has been heartened by the museum’s reception, both from media outlets and music fans around Texas and beyond.

“We had a radio station come in this morning from Houston to interview us,” he says. “People have come in from Lubbock, Texas. We have had people from Midland, Texas. We have another person who emailed us who’s coming in from New York. People are learning all about us.”

That includes many of the musicians who helped shape the genre. Johnny Hernandez, Sunny Ozuna, Elida Reyna, and Danny Martinez from Danny and The Tejanos are among the luminaries who have already graced the halls.

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is now open 10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and closed Monday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Fans can call 210-314-1310 for more information.

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