State Fair of Texas welcomed 2.3 million attendees in 2023, slight dip from previous year

By Lana Ferguson

More than 2.3 million people attended the State Fair of Texas for its 2023 season which concluded Sunday night.

The 24-day event ran Sept. 29 to Oct. 22 in Dallas’ historic Fair Park. Texas’ fair is the longest-running state fair in the nation. It’s also the most-attended fair with the Minnesota State Fair close behind.

This year’s total attendance is a decrease from the record 2.5 million people who attended in 2022.

The 2023 attendance may have been impacted by the Saturday night shooting on Oct. 14 that injured three people. Cameron Turner, 22, was almost immediately taken into custody and arrested in connection with the shooting that he said was in self-defense. He faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The fair was evacuated that night then opened four hours late the next day before returning to regular operating hours. The shooting — the first incident of its kind at the fair since 1988 — raised questions about security and how the suspect was able to bring a gun into the park.

“Each year the State Fair of Texas is centered around community,” State Fair of Texas President Mitchell Glieber said in a news release. “Despite the challenges we faced this Fair, our team has been resilient and remained steadfast in bringing the community together to celebrate at the Most Texan Place on Earth. After 137 years, there is nothing more fulfilling than seeing folks from all walks of life embrace and uplift the time-honored tradition that is the State Fair of Texas.”

The State Fair of Texas is a nonprofit organization that has put proceeds toward preserving and improving Fair Park, scholarships for students, community initiatives and more, according to the release. The organization was able to contribute almost $18.5 million to philanthropic causes in 2022.

The 2024 State Fair of Texas is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 20.

This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.