The State Fair of Texas will not be giving away free tickets to high school students this year.
After a screenshot of a message to parents circulated on social media, fair spokesperson Karissa Condoianis confirmed the change, citing “rising costs, low redemption rates, and increased safety concerns.”
“We know some families may be disappointed, but this decision helps us continue providing a safe, family-friendly, and sustainable Fair experience while still investing in youth through free admission for younger students, scholarships, and educational programs,” she said in a statement.
Condoianis said school districts were notified of the change back in March. Some, including Dallas, Mesquite and Richardson, have fall break during the state fair.
Free admission will continue for Pre-K through 8th grade students and all teachers for Pre-K through 12th grade. The fair will offer $12 discounted tickets for high schoolers to use Monday through Thursday, but Dallas high school parent Billie Garcia said it’s still an unexpected change many families can’t take on.
“It’s not good because a lot of the kids need it because larger families that have three or four kids won’t be able to afford to take them, because food and entrance is already high,” she said. “Now that they have to pay the entrance fee, it’s hard. The free entrance helps a lot.”
For years, the State Fair of Texas has provided free admission to students and teachers at districts within a 100-mile radius of Fair Park through its school ticketing program, Condoianis said. But she said in recent years many districts have phased out their “Fair Days.” She said of the 2 million or so tickets printed for the ticketing program, only about 10 percent are redeemed.
Condoianis also said the decision was driven partly by safety concerns: The fair, she told KERA, has “experienced an uptick in incidents involving high-school–aged guests in recent years.”
Since 2023 the fair has required minors to be accompanied by a parent, guardian or chaperone if entering after 5 p.m.
The State Fair of Texas is also rolling out a clear bag policy this year and continuing to ban guns on the fairground after a 2023 shooting injured three people.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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