Screw the Deep-Fried Food. This Year’s State Fair Will Have a Free Concert by the Black Pumas.

On Sept. 24, the State Fair is returning after a brief interruption in its 135-year run. Big Tex is back with all the fixins: fried everything that’s semi-edible, dizzying rides and the yearly showing of vintage cars someone must keep attending – all tied together through this year’s theme, “Howdy Folks!,” which lives somewhere between cutesy and ironic.

The fair is a deeply rooted Texan tradition that always leaves us with all the feels (nausea, vertigo, disorientation, exhaustion, heatstroke), and pondering the deepest of questions (like how we managed to spend  our rent money in one day, how we got stuck carrying around a stuffed purple giraffe all day, and why we parked all the way in Oklahoma instead of paying a valet), but there is no amount of self-loathing or love of seasonal foods that attracts us to the park – year after year – like the State Fair’s concerts.

This year’s live music performances, all 77 of them, are free. The shows will be spread out across three stages over 24 days, and this year’s lineup includes some of the state’s very best.

Let’s start with Saturday, Sept. 25, when the Black Pumas will take to the Chevrolet Main Stage. The last time the Grammy-winning psychedelic soul band from Austin played in Dallas, they sold out three shows in one weekend. The band will take the stage after ’90s R&B group Dru Hill, which gave us the suggestive “How Deep Is Your Love” and propelled the solo career of member (and thong proponent) Sisqo.

Other nostalgic acts include summer-hit-pushers Sugar Ray on Oct. 10, and disco cover band Le Freak on Oct.11, along with Latin music acts and comedy shows.

Fittingly, the fair’s lineup is replete with country acts, such as Clay Walker and Dallas soon-to-be-legends Charley Crockett and Joshua Ray Walker, along with locals Vandoliers. Other standouts include polka legends Brave Combo, Brave Little Howl, Justin Pickard, Frankie Leonie and Kristy Kruger.

See the full schedule below:

Friday, September 24

Two Tons of Steel
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m
Bud Light Stage

Matt Hillyer
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Deep Fried Comedy
8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Clay Walker
8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Saturday, September 25

Chevy House Party
12:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Dru Hill
2:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Unfaded Brass Band
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m
Bud Light Stage

Shelley Carrol
2:30; 4:30; 6:30, 8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Black Pumas
8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Sunday, September 26

Conjunto DIFERENTES De Zacatecas
2:00; 4:00; 6:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Sabor Puro
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Paul Slavens
2:30; 4:30; 6:30; 8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

La Energia Norteña
8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Monday, September 27

Brave Little Howl
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Bayleigh Cheek
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Rob Roy Parnell
4:00; 5:45; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Tuesday, September 28

Elaina Kay
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Jade Nickol
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Rathmore
4:00; 5:45; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Wednesday, September 29

Dave Washburn Jazz Band
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Burnet
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

The 40 Acre Mule
4:00; 5:45; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Thursday, September 30

Conjunto Cats
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Kristy Kruger
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Little Joe y La Familia
5:30; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Friday, October 1

Vandoliers
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Greg Schroeder
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Summer Dean
5:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Deep Fried Comedy
8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Shinyribs
8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Saturday, October 2

Chevy House Party
12:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Eleven Hundred Springs
2:00; 4:00; 6:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Ottoman Turks
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Van Darien
2:30; 4:30; 6:30; 8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Kevin Fowler
8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Sunday, October 3

Chevy House Party
12:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Clay Melton
2:00; 4:00; 6:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Monica Saldivar &The Band
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Devil’s Sooty Brother
2:30; 4:30; 6:30; 8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Grand Funk Railroad
8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Monday, October 4

DAMOYEE
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Jackson Scribner
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Retrophonics
4:00; 5:45; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Tuesday, October 5

Slow Moving Snakes
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Maya Piata
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

The Imaginaries
4:00; 5:45; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Wednesday, October 6

Chris J Norwood
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Charming Gardeners
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Squeezebox Bandits
4:00; 5:45; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Thursday, October 7

Steve Austin and the Bioniq Brass Band
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Coltin Ayers
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Brave Combo
5:30; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Friday, October 8

All Star Band
2:00; 4:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Peyton Stilling
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Mike and the Moonpies
5:30; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Whitney Rose
6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Deep Fried Comedy
8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Saturday, October 9

Joshua Ray Walker
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Hannah Kirby
2:30 p.m. (other showtimes pending game time)
Chevrolet Main Stage

Justin Pickard
2:30; 4:30; 6:30; 8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Jack Ingram
6:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Bill Engvall
8:20 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Sunday, October 10

Chevy House Party
12:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Mariachi Rosas Divinas
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

No Rehearsal
2:00; 4:00; 6:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Chad Stockslager
2:30; 4:30; 6:30; 8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Sugar Ray
8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Monday, October 11

Trevor Douglas
12:00; 1:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Straight Tequila Night
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Kirk Thurmond
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Le Freak
3:00; 5:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Tuesday, October 12

Billy Law
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Frankie Leonie
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Ron Lawrence and Sazerac Jazz
4:00; 5:45; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Wednesday, October 13

EJ Mathews
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Sarah Johnson
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

U.S. Marine Jazz Ensemble
4:00; 5:45; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Thursday, October 14

Marine Rock Band
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Garrett Owen
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band
5:30; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Friday, October 15

John Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

United States Marine Jazz Quartet
2:30; 4:30; 6:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Kraig Parker
5:30; 8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Deep Fried Comedy
8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Saturday, October 16

Chevy House Party
12:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

The Peterson Brothers
2:00; 4:00; 6:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Vincent Neil Emerson
2:00; 4:00; 6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

Saborcito Puro
2:30; 4:30; 6:30; 8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Charley Crockett
8:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Sunday, October 17

The Powell Brothers
12:00; 1:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Baby Yaga
2:30; 4:30; 6:30; 8:30 p.m.
Wine Garden Stage

Big Easy Brass Band
2:00; 4:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage

The Last Bandoleros
3:00 p.m.
Chevrolet Main Stage

Joel Wells and the Revelers Hall Band
6:00; 8:00 p.m.
Bud Light Stage