The North Texas Fair & Rodeo will open its 96th season this Friday and officials say they will decide on a day-to-day basis to delay amusement rides due to the expected heat.
Friday through Sunday’s temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. Fair officials are preparing on how to handle the heat.
Last year, extreme temperatures became an issue, leading officials to delay opening times for amusement rides each day due to temperatures of more than 100 degrees.
At that time, it had been more than 11 years since opening times had been delayed due to weather.
This year Glenn Carlton, the fair’s executive director, said Monday they will decide on a day-to-day basis to either delay opening the fair rides.
“We are going to make the decision on when to open rides day to day,” Carlton said in via email. “If the rides are safe and comfortable to the touch, then we will open. We don’t expect the delays we had last year.”
Officials have taken precaution of the expected heat as fairgoers can expect to see to see more cooling stations this year as well.
“We take precautions based on current conditions each year,” Carlton said. “Last year was exceptional. We have added a more efficient cooling station for this year, provided by Denton County.”
As reported by the Denton Record-Chronicle, last year, official revenue and attendance were both down.
In 2021, though, the fair reported a record-high revenue of $3.2 million. In 2020, the fair earned $1.95 million in spite of the coronavirus pandemic. The fair’s next-highest revenue total was in 2019, with $2.67 million.
“We fully expect to be up compared to last year,” Carlton said. “There is a lot of difference between 99 to 100 degrees, and 105 to 110 degrees. Advance tickets sales are already up over last year. Outdoor events will always have ups and downs due to weather.”
Expect to see music acts like Isaac Hoskins, classic country artists like Clay Walker and more. Nightly rodeos will start at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays at the fair usually get really busy, and organizers are asking the public to take advantage of their two remote parking lots, with shuttles running continuously at First Baptist Church, 1100 Malone St., and Texas Woman’s University, 1567 N. Ruddell Rd.
The fair runs from Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 25. Locals can get tickets online.