The 2026 State Fair of Texas Auto Show opens Friday. Here’s your game plan.

If you have kids in school around here, you know what time of year it is. A lot of North Texas schools send younger kids home with free fair tickets, and some districts still put a Fair Day off on the calendar. For me, fair season is also one of the best chances all year to see a pile of new cars and trucks in one place, Fletcher’s Corny Dog in hand.

The Texas Auto Show has been part of the State Fair of Texas since 1913. The fair bills it as one of the highest-attended auto shows in the country and estimates that more than 90% of fairgoers walk through it. That’s a lot of tire kicking.

I went to media day

I spent Thursday at Fair Park for the auto show’s media day, the day before the gates open. This post is the big-picture overview. Over the next few weeks I’ll follow up with posts on specific cars and manufacturers.

A few things stood out. Tesla had a booth with a Cybertruck, Model Y and Model 3, and you don’t see Tesla at many auto shows. Stellantis held press conferences for Ram, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge, and the tiny Fiat Topolino was there too. GM brought the next-generation 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Toyota had the Sequoia, Tundra and 4Runner in a bright blue, plus the Land Cruiser. Jeep built an indoor off-road course, and Ram set up an outdoor ride course. Lunch was Fletcher’s Corny Dogs at Big Tex, which is the only correct media day lunch in Texas.

For the full lineup, I saw Chevrolet, GMC, Ram, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ford, Tesla, Toyota, Nissan, Kia and Honda on the floor.

Rides and drives

• The Chevrolet Ride & Drive in Chevrolet Park Plaza runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and doesn’t cost any coupons. Drivers have to be 18 or older, have a valid license and pass a breathalyzer. The lineup includes the Colorado, Corvette, Equinox EV, Silverado LD, HD and EV, and Traverse. You have to drive two vehicles before they’ll hand you a Corvette.
• The Ram Thrill Ride is on the fair’s official schedule, open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
• Jeep’s indoor off-road course is open to the public. It takes up a large section of one of the auto show buildings.

The basics

• The fair runs Friday, Sept. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026.
• Fair hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Last entry is 9 p.m.
• The auto show buildings and Truck Zone are open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. On Friday and Saturday nights the cars close an hour before the fair does.
• The auto show is included with fair admission.
• Fair Park is at 3809 Grand Ave. in Dallas, just east of downtown.

Tickets

• Monday through Thursday at the gate, adults are $15, or $10 after 5 p.m. Seniors 60 and up are $13.
• Friday through Sunday, adults are $25, or $20 after 5 p.m. Seniors are $20.
• Kids 3 to 12 are $10 every day. Kids 2 and under get in free.
• Buying online adds a $2 fee per ticket.
• Seniors get in for $7 on Thursdays. On Wednesdays, anyone who brings five canned food items for the North Texas Food Bank pays $7. On opening day, two jars of peanut butter gets you in for $10. It’s one discount per person.

Getting there

• DART’s Green Line is my preferred way to get to the fair. When I go with my family, we take the train, and there’s no parking to pay for. It stops at Fair Park Station on Parry Avenue and at MLK Jr. Station near Gate 6. A local 3-hour pass is $3 and a day pass is $6. Buy your fare ahead of time in the GoPass app. Coming from Fort Worth, the TRE connects to the Green Line.
• Official fair parking is $25, cash or card. The fair recommends the Gate 2 lot at 925 S. Haskell Ave.
• By car, take I-30 to exit 48A and follow the signs to Fair Park. From Houston, take I-45 north to exit 284A, then I-30 east.
• Rideshare drop-off and pickup is at 4206 Gurley Ave.

A few tips

• Check the football schedule. The State Fair Classic is Saturday, Sept. 26, and Texas vs. OU is Saturday, Oct. 10.
• Bring a clear bag. It isn’t required, but the fair strongly recommends one, and there are no lockers or bag check.
• After 5 p.m., anyone 17 and under has to be with a parent, guardian or chaperone who’s at least 21.
• High schoolers don’t get free tickets anymore, but they can buy a discounted Monday through Thursday ticket at bigtex.com/5hs with code 2026EDU. [VERIFY: 2026 price for the high school ticket.]

More soon on the trucks and cars I climbed into today. See you at the fair.