Tulsa State Fair Remains One of Oklahoma’s Premiere Attractions
By RON PETERS
Tulsa County Commissioner
Nothing announces the beginning of fall in Tulsa County like the Tulsa State Fair.
Running from Sept. 26 – Oct. 6, the Tulsa State Fair is the city’s largest family event, providing educational experiences and entertainment during an 11-day span.
With more than 100 years of history, it continues to stand out as one of the top fairs in the nation. The goal of this historical event is to provide an educational and entertaining experience to all attendees.
The Tulsa State Fair is expected to draw more than a million visitors during the 11 days, and add millions of dollars into the local economy. This puts it at the top of the list along with the BOK Center as one of the most popular attractions in our region.
Thanks to the citizens’ support for Vision Tulsa, the Tulsa Fairgrounds has added more than $30 million of improvements, including a new Mega Barn, Pavilion exterior updates, and the greatly expanded, popular and permanent Oklahoma Stage.
Fairgoers will be glad to see the return of some of their favorite attractions, including the surgical suite, petting zoo and birthing center, the all-star stunt dogs challenge, Sara the cheese sculptor, and the extreme ride slingshot. Joining these crowd pleasers are several new attractions and, of course, the always popular Disney on Ice that runs Sept. 27 through 30. This
year’s theme is Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party.
The fair has also announced two new rides, Star Dancer and the Space Roller. These rides feature over-the-top spinning motion and state-of-the-art light packages that midway thrill seekers will not want to miss. In addition, the wine garden in Expo Center has been expanded and the kids free activities have been enlarged.
For many fairgoers, the main attraction is the wide variety of food offerings unique to the fair. Each year, new foods hit the midway and this year is no exception. New foods this year include the double decker funnel cake, deep fried red velvet oreos, caramel apple nachos, and bacon mac and cheese empanadas.
One of the more exciting new additions to the fairgrounds is the larger Oklahoma Stage. This permanent structure will attract high quality entertainment all year long.
Bringing the stage alive for the fair are acts which include Lanco, Ginuwine, Chris Jason, Whiskey Myers, La Fiera de Ojinaga and many others. To kick off each concert, there will be fireworks at the Oklahoma
Stage, starting at 7:30 p.m. To help fairgoers hit the midway without worrying about traffic or finding a place to park, the Fair Transit System (FTS) offers transportation from its pickup locations at Nathan Hale High School and the Tulsa Promenade Mall. All FTS shuttles drop off and pick up at the Pavilion near the northwest section of the fairgrounds. For a shuttle
schedule, visit tulsastatefair.com/p/about/fts.
The Tulsa State Fair has been one of Oklahoma’s most popular annual events since 1903 when it was known as the “Tulsa County Free Fair.” That tradition continues this year with “11 days of Awesome.”
For a full lineup of entertainment, attractions, promotions and all things Tulsa State Fair, visit tulsastatefair.com.
