2025 State Fair of Texas review highlights attendance security affordability

Attendance Drop at 2025 State Fair of Texas

DALLAS – Officials reported a concerning decline in attendance at the 2025 State Fair of Texas.

Attendance Figures

About 2 million people attended the fair. This number is the lowest since 2021.

One reason for the drop was that high school students did not receive tickets in 2025.

Challenges Faced

Mitchell Glieber, president of the State Fair of Texas, discussed the challenges during a meeting with city council members.

“The difficulty is finding what percentage is responsible for what. First economic factors, inflation and the labor market. Things like groceries and dining out,” Glieber said.

Security Measures

Security was another major focus. After a shooting at the 2024 fair, security measures were enhanced.

“We had drone tech that was available to us in real time,” Glieber said. “We did attempt a harder approach on that front (bags changes). So I can’t say enough about law enforcement and DFR.”

Local Concerns

Council members raised questions about attendance issues.

“Was there any discount programs for Dallas residents or the surrounding community or any effort to make it more affordable for those closest to us?” asked Councilman Adam Bazaldua.

“We’ve worked with nonprofits in the area before to give them admission tickets to use within the community to allow them that access without the barrier for the admission price,” said Karissa Condoianis, Senior Vice President of Public Relations. “We actually gave more tickets into the south Dallas Fair Park community to allow them to come to the fair this year.”

“The number one common answer I got was we couldn’t afford it and I think it’s a lot of circumstances there,” Bazaldua added.

Summary of Attendance and Security Measures