The Oldest Fairs in Texas

The Gillespie County Fair in Fredericksburg is one of the oldest county fairs in Texas, a late-August celebration in the heart of the Texas Hill Country that has gathered German-heritage farm families in the peach and wine country since 1881. First held in 1881, it has been a Texas agricultural tradition for over a century.

The State Fair of Texas in Dallas is one of the largest state fairs in the nation, a twenty-four-day September through October celebration at Fair Park drawing over two million visitors annually with blockbuster entertainment, champion livestock, and legendary Texas-sized food. First held in 1886, it has been a Texas agricultural tradition for over a century.

The Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show in Fort Worth is one of the oldest continuously running livestock shows in the United States, a three-week January through February celebration at Will Rogers Memorial Center that launched Fort Worth's identity as Cowtown and remains the crown jewel of the Texas livestock show circuit. First held in 1896, it has been a Texas agricultural tradition for over a century.

The South Texas State Fair in Beaumont is an eleven-day October fair in the Golden Triangle, one of Southeast Texas's premier fair events drawing visitors from across the Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange metropolitan area and the surrounding oil refinery and rice farming communities. First held in 1907, it has been a Texas agricultural tradition for over a century.

The East Texas State Fair in Tyler is a ten-day September celebration in the Rose Capital of the World, one of East Texas's most beloved fair events drawing visitors from across the Piney Woods and the Tyler metro area. First held in 1912, it has been a Texas agricultural tradition for over a century.

The Tri-State Fair in Amarillo is a ten-day September fair serving the agricultural communities of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, one of the largest fair events on the High Plains drawing visitors from across the tri-state Panhandle region. First held in 1923, it has been a Texas agricultural tradition for over a century.

The North Texas Fair & Rodeo in Denton is a ten-day August fair serving the rapidly growing Denton County and the broader North Texas region, one of the premier fair events in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex drawing visitors from across the Metroplex and the surrounding counties. Established in 1927, the fair has brought Texas communities together for generations.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park is the world's largest livestock show and rodeo, a twenty-day February through March spectacle that draws over two million visitors annually and generates millions in educational scholarships for Texas students. Established in 1931, the fair has brought Texas communities together for generations.

The Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show in Mercedes is a ten-day March celebration at the heart of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, one of the most important agricultural fairs in South Texas celebrating the unique subtropical farming heritage of a region that produces citrus, vegetables, and livestock year-round. Established in 1932, the fair has brought Texas communities together for generations.

The West Texas Fair & Rodeo at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene is an eight-day September celebration serving the Big Country of West Central Texas, the premier fair event for the Abilene metro area and the surrounding counties of the rolling West Texas plains. Established in 1938, the fair has brought Texas communities together for generations.

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo at the AT&T Center is a sixteen-day February celebration in the heart of the Alamo City, one of the premier stock shows in the American Southwest drawing visitors from across South Texas and the border region. Established in 1950, the fair has brought Texas communities together for generations.

The Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo in Waco is a nine-day October celebration at the Extraco Events Center, one of Central Texas's premier fair events serving the Waco metro area and the broader Heart of Texas region at the crossroads of I-35 and the Brazos River. Founded in 1955, it has grown into a beloved annual event for the region.