DALLAS— Over 24 days of the State Fair of Texas, Sept. 27-Oct. 20, 2024, more than 2.5 million visitors (2022 figures, at https://bigtex.com/about-us/daily-attendance/) will attend from within and outside Texas. The State Fair of Texas, one of America’s largest, longest (since 1886), and most historic state fairs, provides a unique venue for promoting heritage tourism as a vitally important Texas product.

Staff from Visit Early will greet them on one of those days, highlighting the events and attractions that make our community special. Volunteers will help staff the Texas Heritage Travel booth in the historic Go Texan Pavilion, next to the State Fair Wine Garden and close to the Cotton Bowl.

Early, Texas “Destination Day” is October 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early’s community banner and promotional literature will be on focus display that day, enhancing the statewide presence throughout the large booth.

Early and Brown County residents will also be encouraged to come to Dallas and attend the Fair on that day. Tickets are available at bigtex.com/info/tickets, which provides general admission and access to all fair exhibits and free shows. A discount coupon is available online.

“We are thrilled to showcase Early as a focus destination at the State Fair this year,” said Tammie Virden, executive director of the Texas Forts Trail Region. “The Fair is an amazing place to visit, and we look forward to sharing that information with travelers from all over the world who come to enjoy it.”

The Texas Heritage Travel booth is the only statewide travel exhibitor at the Fair, where it has participated annually for over a decade. Staffed by Texas Heritage Trail Regions personnel and partners, the booth operates as a miniature visitor center, displaying banners and information about all ten of the state’s Heritage Trail Regions and distributing nearly two tons of free brochures, visitor guides, maps, and community-branded items throughout the duration of the Fair.

The Texas Heritage Trail Regions are an award-winning heritage tourism initiative of the Texas Historical Commission. The program has served the state since its founding in 1968 as the Texas Travel Trails and every county of Texas since 1998.

For more information on the Texas Heritage Trails, the Texas Heritage Travel booth at the State Fair, and Destination Days 2024, contact Melissa Hagins, Pecos Trail director, at [email protected].