See You at the Fair

Leave South Beach a little early. Get in a whole 'nother Zone. Tell Atkins you have a new doctor…and his name is Big Tex. Yep, folks, the State Fair of Texas is back Friday, and in the pavilions and amidst the tents, you'll find not only midway rides, carnies, pig races, cars and random demonstrations for Ronco-like products, but a slew of new fried foods in which to partake. Try Texas-fried cookie dough for a sweet treat, or a deep-fried latte for a jolt. B.W.'s Original fried banana pudding makes us a little uncertain about combining pudding and a tortilla, but hell, we eat anything. There are also fried versions of guacamole, sweet potato pie, cobbler and a chili Frito burrito. Our plan (and it's been a proven success for years) is to meet our peeps at Big Tex ('cause noooo one else does that), win a tiny prize at the dart/balloon toss and see exhibits before eating our weight in fried goodness and classics such as hot dogs and turkey legs. Then we'll board the new Texas SkyWay to digest our food (and the view) before the rides. Ah, the rides. How we love having the piss scared out of us on rides with German language instructions on the machinery and brightly colored lights aglow. No. Seriously. We love it. We look forward to it for months. It's way more terrifying (in a good way) than Six Flags could ever dream of being. The State Fair of Texas runs through October 21 at Fair Park. Tickets are $10 to $14 (official State Fair parking is $10). Visit bigtex.com for entertainment schedules and daily hours. And if you can hear us, Tex: Please, oh please, let Magnum's ride (just for the mural) and Techno Power (for the near-barf thrill) make another appearance this year.
Sept. 28-Oct. 21, 2007