2025 broke another heat record that shouldn’t surprise any North Texan.
This State Fair of Texas was the hottest since at least 2001, with an average high of 88.4 degrees. But this year wasn’t an anomaly, according to data from the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office. Other years in recent memory have come close, with an average high of 87 degrees in 2024 and 2021.
Karissa Condoianis, a spokesperson for the fair, said rain has traditionally been the biggest weather issue for the fair, but heat has become more of a concern in recent years.
“The heat piece is something we’ve been anecdotally talking about the last few years … and this was the first year we really dug in [to the data],” she said.
D-FW Weather Wise
Maximum temperatures in Dallas over the fair’s 24-day run — from late September through October — have been trending higher. Often over 85 degrees in the last few years, the average temperature was regularly near, or even below, 80 degrees in the early 2000s. And it’s not just the fair. Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon previously said that across every season, Texas is getting hotter.
Some vendors and operators say they’ve noticed an impact.
Christi Erpillo, of Fernie’s Funnel Cakes, said the fair almost always starts hot, but a cold front usually moves in during the 24 days. She calls the cooler temperatures they’re left with “fair weather.”
Christi Erpillo (left) and Johnna McKee took over their mother Wada “Fernie” Winter’s Fernie’s Funnel Cakes at the State Fair of Texas. The stand served the fair’s first funnel cakes in 1969.
Christine Vo / Staff Photographer
Erpillo said the “fair weather” never came in 2025, which she believes had an impact on sales. But Fernie’s is fortunate to have five locations across the grounds, one indoors, which she said can help limit the impact of weather on the business.
The State Fair of Texas saw its lowest attendance this year since at least 2017, at just over 2,020,000 visitors. Fair officials pointed to other issues as the main causes, like broad economic pressures and concerns about the presence of immigration officials. Still, they said the heat also likely played a role.
Condoianis said that while the fair does not have any heat-specific changes it’s planning to make at the moment, the team is always reevaluating and looking for new ideas. She pointed to the shade coverings on the midway as one solution already implemented.
Asked if the fair would ever consider moving its dates later to beat the rising heat, Condoianis reiterated that the fair is always assessing potential changes but said it would “involve a lot of different parties” to consider a change like that. She pointed to the staggered nature of state fairs across the country, as multiple ride operators and vendors travel to work several fairs. The fair’s contract with the city of Dallas also hinges on the fair starting on the final Friday of September.
Erpillo said Fernie’s Funnel Cakes will be at the fair no matter the dates, but other food vendors raised concerns.
Brent and Juan Reaves, respectively president and vice president of Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que and Home Cooking, said shifting the dates of the fair later in the year would likely make other aspects of their business more difficult since they also operate a restaurant.
As soon as the fair concludes, they shift into preparing for Thanksgiving catering orders and Christmas celebrations just after. For those seasons to overlap “wouldn’t assist us,” Juan said.
Brent Reaves (left) and Juan Reaves pose for a photograph with the new deep fried deli taco from the Smokey John’s BBQ State Fair booth in Dallas on Sept. 30, 2025.
Jason Janik / Special Contributor
The brothers did say they remember much cooler temperatures at the fair from their childhoods, which they do miss. Those chillier temperatures can push people to opt for something warm and comforting to eat, which Juan said can be an advantage in selling barbecue. But Texans will eat barbecue no matter the weather, and he said it’s not a big enough benefit to make changing the dates worth it.
As the fair considers changes, Condoianis said the team also appreciates hearing from fairgoers.
“They are not shy about reaching out and sharing what they think,” she said. “And we love that because it means they’re invested in the state fair.”