East Texas State Fair Administration Office — Local services in Tyler

I purchased two carnival wrist bands. One for my wife and one for my daughter. My wife went on one ride and told me she wasn't feeling well. She took off her wristband and gave it to me so I could ride with my daughter.

I went to get on the twirl and whirl and the staff member told me I couldnt get on the ride without a wrist band around my wrist, the wristband was in my hand. I offered to show him my receipt and told him I was allowed to ride several other rides like this. He told me to report those rides and if I had any issues with it I needed to talk to his manager and waved me off without telling me where the manager was after I asked.

I decided that it wasn't worth the trouble because I just wanted to enjoy my time with my 4 year old daughter. I snapped the band and tucked the back under my watch to secure it around my wrist.

I then went to raptor run. The staff member scanned both our wrist bands and let us on the ride. I sat down with my daughter and then a minute late the staff member comes over asking to see my band. I show him and he tells me to flip my wrist over and pull it out from my watch. I do so and told him I broke it. He then made my daughter and I leave the ride after causing this scene in front of everyone, confusing my daughter and embarrassing me. I asked him if there was somehow I could get it replaced and he told me he didn't know and it wasn't his problem.

Nowhere on the website or anywhere on the carnival/fair grounds are any of these arbitrary policies posted. All it states is that a wrist band is good for all day of fun, of which for myself and my daughter was ruined.

$74+ daughters on wristbands and this is how we are treated. Clearly the event organizers were more concerned about money than people. We won't be going to fair ever again after...

Parking was poor. Knew they would not get this done in time and waited to the last minute as usual with anything associated with Tyler. Walking on caliche type rock on top of rooted soil was very difficult if not dangerous for leg, knee or foot injuries.

Ticket booths crowded but moved well. No offering on weekends to veterans, seniors or first responders, who don’t have the luxury to attend on a specific days during the week. Price of tickets too high for a poor fair offering.

Fair grounds with the same walking surface from the parking area. The fair itself was poorly laid out and very small. Extremely limited exhibits and exhibitors, possibly related to not enough planning and/or waiting to the last minute to assemble.

Coupon/Ticket booths located in one area. Lines were very long to purchase coupons, then had to get in another long line to redeem purchase….very frustrating and just another example of poor planning.

Rides were filthy and poorly kept. Expected as much since the operators looked like the condition of the rides. The cost/coupons for each ride were very expensive. Expect to spend minimum of $100 bucks just on rides for one child.

Location may have been better, just not enough time utilized to prepare for this event. Rides at the mall parking lot would get a higher score than this event. City of Tyler should be ashamed with this event. Maybe they can get better for next year, if they start right now. I doubt it, since we never learned from the reviews or mistakes.

Very...

I recently visited the East Texas State Fair, and while it offers a taste of a small-town fair experience, there were a few aspects that left me with mixed feelings. You can easily see everything in about two hours, which is good if you're looking for a quick outing.

However, the parking lot was, without exaggeration, one of the worst I've ever encountered. It was incredibly dusty and dirty, and I honestly felt like I needed a pickup truck to navigate through it comfortably. This was a significant detractor from the overall experience right from the start.

Regarding the fair itself, it was okay for a small-town event. I was quite disappointed by the carnival's size; it felt considerably downsized compared to what I've experienced at other fairs. There seemed to be a noticeable lack of thrill rides, with only one that I found rather unexciting. This was a letdown, especially if you're looking for that adrenaline rush typically associated with fairs. On a more concerning note, I observed one food vendor handling nachos with sweaty, dirty hands and only one glove, which was extremely off-putting and unhygienic. While it's fun for the family, and they offer discounts for local students on certain days, I do wish they'd consider discounts for toddlers, as paying adult prices for them seems a bit much. Overall, while it has its charm, there are definite areas for...