State Fair of Texas kicks off 129th year

DALLAS - One of the most famous Texas traditions begins Friday morning. Millions of people are expected to attend this year’s State Fair of Texas.

The theme for 2015 is "Passport to Texas." It will celebrate 129 years of "Lone Star Tradition."

A new Big Texas Music  exhibit in the Hall of State will honor well-known Texas artists with memorabilia, audio-visual displays and daily live music performances.

There’s an all-new Lone Star Horse Spectacular show and the Illumination Sensation show has been remastered with new dancing water  features and twice the pyrotechnics than ever before.

Plus there will be 85 free concerts on the Chevrolet Main Stage, a new costumed Big Tex for people to take pictures with and some new discounts and deals.

But with the fair comes the parking war.

There are 15 official state fair parking lots that cost $15 per day.

“We have more than 20,000 parking spots around Fair Park that are patrolled by police officers, our gates department and security,” said Karissa Condoianis, a spokeswoman for the State Fair of Texas.

For those planning to drive, parking on public streets is free, but hard to find. Officials also warn people about private lots. They should have a “special event parking permit” sign.

The other alternative is public transportation. DART will increase the number of trains and arrival times at Fair Park.

The fair runs through Oct. 18.