State Fair of Texas officials have pushed back for weeks on reports of declining attendance, but the final numbers confirm overall attendance fell to its lowest in almost a decade.
The 2025 fair drew 2,385,855 people, down 365,791 — or 15.3%. Fair officials acknowledged the decline in a release on Sunday. More detailed numbers Wednesday revealed this year’s fair attendance is the lowest over the past eight years. The drop has implications for the city of Dallas as well as the State Fair.
Several factors likely contributed to the drop in attendance, Karissa Condoianis, a spokesperson for the State Fair, said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News.
Condoianis said that during its 24-day run, an abundance of social media attention, immigration worries and warm weather all played a part in this year’s lower turnout.
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This year, the fair’s first and last days also had fewer visitors compared to the same days last year.
The busiest day for the State Fair in 2025 was during the Texas-Oklahoma football game on Oct.11. However, following the game in 2024, attendance stayed on average over 100,000 visitors a day. This year, average dropped after the TX-OU game.
Former Dallas City Manager Teodoro Benavides said that when the State Fair’s attendance drops, it can impact the city.
“It has an economic value of like $680 million, so its success is really important to the city of Dallas,” he said.
Social media attention
Soon after the State Fair’s gates opened on Sept. 26, a wave of social media posts that included videos of empty parking lots and an oddly quiet Midway prompted discussions that costs might be shifting away interest. One repeated remark from fair critics was that the decision to remove free admission for high school students helped drive down attendance.
As of now, Condoianis said there has not been any data to prove or disprove this theory. Dropping free admission for high schoolers has been in the works for years, she said and many are supportive of the decision.
“We received a lot of positive feedback from fairgoers and participating vendors on the measure of discontinuing free high school tickets in the Fair’s school ticketing program,” she said.
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The fair, instead, offered discounted tickets to high schoolers for $12.
Another concern fair officials heard on social media was the potential presence of immigration officers at Fair Park.
Condoianis said the Latino community typically represents more than 36% of the fair’s annual attendance. Heightened concerns of possible encounters with ICE at Fair Park caused a noticeable ripple effect, Condoianis said.
“Fears around ICE operations have created understandable hesitation among families who would normally visit the State Fair in large numbers,” she said.
In a previous interview with The News, Condoianis said Dallas police would be present during the fair for security, as usual, but not ICE.
“We have Dallas police and other entities that are out here at the fair but ICE is not one of them,” she said. “I’ve seen posts out there that say that they’re here, that they have a headquarters here, that they’ve been spotted here. I’m out here all day, every day. I have not seen one.”
Rising prices
Broader economic pressures could have also made it hard for families to afford to attend bigger events like the State Fair, Condoianis said.
“Many families are feeling the pinch of rising costs, and when budgets tighten, big outings are often one of the first things to be reconsidered,” she said.
A study shared by the State Fair in 2024 stated that from the jobs the fair creates, tourism it attracts and its support of local businesses, the fair in 2023 had a $562.3 to $680.3 million economic impact in North Texas.
Benavides, who is a local government management professor at the University of Dallas, said the 15% drop in fairgoers is worrisome and the focus moving forward should be how to correct it.
“It’s important for the fair to have that number stay where it is or get better,” he said. “The mentality is that if you’re going down, it’s like, ‘OK, What’s going on,’ but maybe you’re not the most popular event in town anymore.”
During its season, the fair made efforts to promote deals so fairgoers could save a few dollars. Condoianis said the fair attempts to be accessible to everyone by offering a wide range of admission discounts and prices.
“We will continue to evaluate these opportunities during the off season,” she said.
The government shutdown that started at the beginning of the State Fair, safety concerns when attending large-scale events and the extreme heat were also cited as contributors to the change in fairgoer attendance.
“Despite challenges, the State Fair continues to do what it has done for nearly 140 years — bring people together, celebrate traditions, and showcase the very best of Texas,” Condoianis said.
She said the State Fair looks forward to welcoming fairgoers back next year during its 2026 season from Sept. 25 through Oct. 18, but it’s unclear how and if the fair will address the drop in attendance.
“With the 2025 State Fair just closing only a few days ago, it is premature to give any details on plans for next year,” Condoianis said. “As we do every year, we will be examining every aspect of our operation to determine how we can continue balancing the tradition of our 139-year-old nonprofit organization with keeping our largest community program and fundraiser of the year fresh and innovative, all while also ensuring we continue to improve our operations and maintain the premier guest experience the State Fair of Texas has become known for.”