Report: State Fair of Texas is Back in 2021

The Sooners and Longhorns will tangle on Oct. 9 and the Dallas Morning News reports that the grounds at State Fair Park will be open for business.

John E. Hoover | Jun 2, 2021

Welcome to the State Fair of Texas / Bryan Terry-USA TODAY NETWORK

Get your corny dogs ready. Oklahoma and Texas fans will have a place to either celebrate or commiserate this year.

In addition to the anticipated return of fans at capacity for the annual OU-Texas showdown at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Oct. 9, fans will get the full experience as the State Fair of Texas returns in 2021.

That’s according to a report Wednesday in the Dallas Morning News.

The State Fair itself will take place at Dallas’ Fair Park from Sept. 24 to Oct. 17. The Morning News reports that the Fair will still follow CDC and local guidelines regarding COVID-19 protocols, which will be announced later.

Last year’s game went on as usual — Oklahoma won 53-45 in four overtimes — but with two major exceptions: 25 percent fan capacity, and no State Fair. Fans could get fair food at a drive-thru parade, but most complained about long waits or cold food.

That won’t be the case this year.

Published Jun 2, 2021

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.