Food, family-friendly fun and all things agriculture among highlights of this year’s fair

 Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller welcomed visitors Friday, September 30, 2016 to the State Fair of Texas and invites them to stop by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) GO TEXAN Pavilion to enjoy some Texas-sized fun and learn about the many ways Texas agriculture impacts their daily lives. The Pavilion is located near the famous Cotton Bowl Stadium in the center of Fair Park. As always, the Pavilion is packed with some of the tastiest food and beverages around, and world-class entertainment and shopping.

“Come on out and join the Texas Department of Agriculture at the State Fair this year to experience all things Texan and show off your Lone Star pride,” Commissioner Miller said. “Agriculture is so important in Texas that it’s the theme of the entire fair this year! I’ve been saying for a while now that Texas agriculture matters, and I feel like the State Fair is a great opportunity for y’all to discover some of the best Texas-grown and Texas-made products from our GO TEXAN members and learn why Texas agriculture is so important.”

The GO TEXAN Pavilion, sponsored by Southwest Dairy Farmers, is a 25,000-square-foot facility showcasing Lone Star agriculture and hundreds of GO TEXAN products. GO TEXAN promotes the products, culture and communities that call Texas home. The Pavilion also has many exhibits throughout that provide visitors with a glimpse into the impact agriculture has on their daily lives. You can also view the newest addition to TDA’s quilt collection inside the Pavilion.

One of the most popular attractions in the Food and Fiber Pavilion is the Pioneer Brand GO TEXAN General Store, which is stocked to the brim with all kinds of Texas-made products, from aioli sauce and apple pie jelly to pet products and steak dust to Texas tea. Plus, while supplies last, visitors will receive a free GO TEXAN cookbook and commemorative calendar poster with any purchase!

Also featured in the Pavilion is TDA’s Food and Nutrition division’s The Great Plate of Texas booth — an interactive exhibit designed to engage children in the journey their food makes from farm-to-plate. Inside, visitors will find a farmers market stand, a cafeteria line where kids can create healthy plates and various videos that teach children about where their food comes from. The star in the center of this booth is a hands-on display for kids to learn about the components of a healthy plate, including grains, dairy, protein, vegetables and fruit, and participate in fun games like guessing different fruits by their smells and animals by the sounds they make.

Southwest Dairy Farmers will be giving away yogurt samples daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Southwest Dairy Farmers Diner, and there will be product samples available daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The famous Kilgore Rangerettes will be joining TDA at the Pavilion on Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2, courtesy of Southwest Dairy Farmers.

During the first week of the Fair, the GO TEXAN Event Stage will feature:

  • the Texas Parks & Wildlife Lone Star Law and Baytown Nature Center,
  • Big Red presentations,
  • Blue Bell Ice Cream Float Day,
  • the Clickety Cloggers,
  • a Smokin’ Upstreams Smoked Salmon cooking demo,
  • Texas Farm Fresh’s Jump With Jill LIVE Tour and
  • GO TEXAN’s own NASCAR driver Austin Wayne Self.

For a complete list of daily events, click here.

TDA’s GO Texan Pavilion is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The State Fair runs Sept. 30 through Oct. 23. Click here for a map of the fairgrounds, a list of vendors in the GO TEXAN General Store and more.