State Fair Can Take A Bite Out Of Wallets
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DALLAS (CBS11) - The State Fair of Texas made a return to North Texas on Friday night to crowds of folks who lined up for fried-food, rides and to give it their best shot at all the games.
But as always, all those activities can get costly for families.
"It can get out of control after a while. It can be a crimp on the old pocket book, eating too many corny dogs," said Craig Rodger, a father of two kids.
It is easy for folks to want to cut corners to save money. Cheaper-than-face-value tickets sold outside the fairgrounds can be enticing.
"They think they're close to the fairgrounds and it might be something official," said Karissa Condoianis, a spokesperson for the State Fair of Texas.
Condoianis said the fair is scanning tickets this year and vendors will be watching for phony coupons.
"I'm feeling it. I'm looking for a different texture. These have a little bit of a thick texture. The ones that are counterfeit do not," said Cassy Jones, a long-time vendor.
Parking can also be a bit of a pain. But those "secret spots" that are not authorized by the fair carry hidden risks.
"Your car could get towed, your car could get broken into," said Condoianis.
Selfie-sticks are also banned this year for safety reasons.
"People have been taking pictures in front of Big Tex since 1952 and we didn't have selfie-sticks then and we didn't have cell phones," said Condoianis.
The State Fair of Texas also warns anyone who is trying to attend a particular event to leave early or use DART due to traffic.
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