The State Fair of Texas opens to the masses on Friday, Sept. 29, and crews are hard at work, giving the rides another look.
Eight inspectors check out more than 70 rides before the rides even get to Fair Park and then again several more times once they're up and running.
"The State of Texas requires ride inspections once a year. We require them right before we open and then all the way through the fair," said Rusty Fitzgerald, senior vice president of operations at the State Fair of Texas.
Fitzgerald said his inspectors look at critical points, like lap bars, making sure the metal is in peak condition.
They also run special tests beyond what the eye can see.
"Ultrasonic testing, so I can see inside the metals; magnetic particle testing, so we can detect any cracks that you can't see to the naked eye," he said.
Fitzgerald's team travels the country, handpicking equipment. Instead of going with one company that supplies all the rides, he chooses several, so their focus is on each ride, instead of six dozen.
They also take steps to prevent corrosion, which caused a ride to fail at the Ohio State Fair in July. He said they monitor mistakes made at other fairs closely.
"We look at them and say, 'Hey, can this happen to us? Can I improve?' We learn from those," Fitzgerald said.
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One potential factor in the Ohio case was exposure to salt water.
"If I have a ride that's from the East or West Coast and plays out there, it's maybe got a three-year shelf life for us," he said. "To get into the State Fair of Texas, you've got to be at the top of your ball game. We can hand pick any ride, just about, in the country to come here to play this event, so we only pick the best — the best operators, the best equipment."
