Returning to a kiosk to purchase more (and more) coupons is inevitable.
Last night, as the clock ticked down in the final hours of the fair, officials sent out the box scores for the 24-day run to see what damage had been done.
Remember, the State Fair of Texas itself is a huge nonprofit. However, food vendors and Midway operators are independent and they're there for profit — for big profit. "Gimme an 'M!' ... "MONEY!"
The Highlight Reel
• Big Tex welcomed almost 2.4 million visitors over the 24-day run this year.• The busiest day was Saturday, Oct. 12, during the Red River Rivalry, the annual game between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma, when 211,000 fairgoers descended on the fairgrounds.
• 180,000 cans of food, including jars of peanut butter, were collected for the North Texas Food Bank.
• The Big Texas Urban Farms donated more than 26,000 pounds of fresh produce to the South Dallas and Fair Park communities.
• The Big Tex Scholarship Program awarded more than $1.3 million in new college scholarships to 224 students throughout Texas.
• The Texas Star Ferris Wheel had more than 100,000 riders. At $12 per pop, that's $1.2 million in circles.
• The Grand Champion Market Steer sold for $180,000 — a new record.
• Fletcher's sold 550,000 corn dogs, which is almost 23,000 a day. The basic style of corn dog costs $8, which means the long-time state fair vendor pushed $4.4 million in 24 days, but likely more than that with other higher-priced dogs and beer and soda sales.
• The belle of the food ball this year was Rousso's Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick. This Big Tex Choice Award winner sold about 100,000 pieces of bacon on a stick wrapped in cotton candy, which went for $16 each, tallying $1.6 million. (Owner Isaac Rousso reinvested $20,000 of that with the winning bid for second-place pig in the livestock show.)
• Tony's Taco Shop hand-rolled more than 60,000 taquitos in 24 days. These Drowning Taquitos, a Big Tex Choice Award finalist, cost $20 for three and are served in a cup with guacamole and sour cream. That's $400,000 in taquitos. Good for them.
