It's less than a week away from the start of the State Fair of Texas.
"This year's fair is themed 'super-sized fun,' so the theme alone should get everyone excited," fair spokeswoman Sue Gooding said.
Fair Park is already abuzz as people set up. The midway is unveiling 11 new rides, including Disko, Rock It and the super-sized Windstorm roller coaster.
"It runs about 35 to 40 mph," said Rusty Fitzgerald, the fair's director of operations. "You're going to be doing 90-degree turns on it, so it's really -- we call this ride a screamer."
The Greenhouse on the Midway is newly built for this year. Fair-goers can learn about dozens of different plant species and how to care for them in their homes. Little trains wind around miniature versions of well-known Texas buildings, and 1,000 hanging plants rotate around the greenhouse for watering from sprouts in the ceiling.
"We really do want to be known as the place to go to see fall garden plants every year," Gooding said.
Just in time for the Super Bowl in February, the Hall of State will have exhibits dedicated to football, including a showcase of memorabilia from NFL legend Tom Landry.
"We'll be celebrating almost 100 years of exciting football events in North Texas," Gooding said. "It started back 99 years ago with the Texas-OU game here at the fair."
The State Fair starts Friday and runs through Oct. 17.
For a schedule and more information, visit BigTex.com.
