State Fair of Texas vendors donate leftover food to pantries as 2026 season ends

DALLAS - Following the end of the State Fair of Texas, vendors will donate their leftover food today to help local food pantries. 

What we know:

Over the last 10 years, the "State Fair Cares" initiative helped feed North Texans with unused items from the fair's food and beverage vendors.

Several food banks that help people around Fair Park will pick up the donations today.

The annual event serves as its largest community program and fundraiser of the year. 

What they're saying:

State Fair of Texas President Mitchell Glieber highlighted the importance of the annual event.

"The State Fair of Texas is about so much more than the 24 days we spend together at Fair Park. It is about bringing people together, celebrating the traditions and hospitality that make Texas special, and creating opportunities that make a lasting difference in our communities," Glieber said. "We are grateful to every fairgoer who joined us this year, as well as the team members, vendors, and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this season possible."

By the numbers:

The 2026 fair brought in massive crowds and raised millions of dollars for Texas students and communities.

• Nearly 2.1 million people attended the 24-day fair.
• Saturday, Oct. 10 served as the busiest day. Big Tex welcomed more than 203,000 people that day for the Allstate Red River Rivalry.
• Fairgoers ate approximately 450,000 Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs.
• The fair collected an estimated 110,655 pounds of food during its run and donated it to the North Texas Food Bank.
• Big Tex Contact Center employees answered nearly 7,000 calls.

Dig deeper:

The fair generated more than $2.7 million for the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Programs this year, marking a record-breaking fundraising year. 

The scholarship program awarded more than $1.2 million in new college scholarships to 103 students throughout the state.