For David H. Recht, the State Fair is more than a 24-day tradition. It’s a connection to his childhood, his family, his work, and memories of his late father.
By David H. Recht|October 15, 2026 |2:07 pm
Editor’s note: As part of our ongoing coverage of the State Fair of Texas, we asked a variety of people to share their experiences and memories. David H. Recht, an engineer in Dallas, told us he attends the fair daily. “I actually don’t gain weight during the fair. While I do have some treats during the fair, I stick to the sausage on a stick and turkey legs; those are my go tos. As far as work,I own a small business, and I use the fair as a time to go with employees, contractors, and clients and get to know them and chat about work (and the State Fair) while there. And I’ve found some quiet corners of the fair from which to take a discreet Zoom meeting or Teams call without being a distraction.” He filed the dispatch below.
Editor’s note: As part of our ongoing coverage of the State Fair of Texas, we asked a variety of people to share their experiences and memories. David H. Recht, an engineer in Dallas, told us he attends the fair daily. “I actually don’t gain weight during the fair. While I do have some treats during the fair, I stick to the sausage on a stick and turkey legs; those are my go tos. As far as work,I own a small business, and I use the fair as a time to go with employees, contractors, and clients and get to know them and chat about work (and the State Fair) while there. And I’ve found some quiet corners of the fair from which to take a discreet Zoom meeting or Teams call without being a distraction.” He filed the dispatch below.
My mother grew up going to the State Fair as a little girl from Marshall. She stayed at the old Statler Hilton downtown, a trip to the big city with her parents and sister. My first memory of the State Fair was with her and my Dad, as a boy visiting Dallas from Houston. I remember seeing the Dallas Cowboys on TV screens throughout the fair, and I remember the chill in the air, the overcast fall skies, and even some rain, which didn’t stop the action or anyone’s fun.
Years later, I moved to Dallas, fresh out of college for work, in the summer of 1998. One of the highlights of moving to my newly adopted city was going to its big fall attraction: the State Fair of Texas. I went a couple of times that year, once with friends, and once on a date. I remember some of my old Houston friends were in town, and taking them to the fair was a novelty for Houstonians–the State Fair of Texas is to Dallas what the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is to Houston.
A few fair seasons came and went, and I found myself working at Dallas City Hall as a civil engineer, overseeing the city’s construction of the DART Green Line to Fair Park. This is where my true love of the fair started to crystallize. I was working on Robert B. Cullum, at the front steps to the fairgrounds, and, on some days, underneath the fairgrounds. One harrowing morning, I walked through and inspected the storm drain tunnel beneath Fair Park, carrying an oxygen sensor, a flashlight (that went out), and a tether connecting me to help on the street level. At this point, I was personally invested in the State Fair.
Courtesy David H. Recht
My visits to the fair started to increase when I got married and had kids, with some of my fondest memories being taking my son and daughter to the fair in strollers, for just an hour or two tops, and seeing the joy in their baby eyes as they saw the animals in the livestock areas. And, as kids do, they eventually got older and now are able to venture off on their own with their friends, but at 12 and 14, they sense the enjoyment I get out of going with them to the fair, and they still make time to go with me a couple of times each fair season.
As the kids got older, I took on a new (self-imposed) challenge: I wanted to go to the fair for a little bit every day, and see all of the shows and programming at the fair at least once during the 24-day exhibition. I started planning my work schedule (and life schedule) around going to the fair a little each day.
My wife, God bless her, tolerates my erratic schedule in October. She even had the great idea that I should volunteer to help raise money for the youth scholarships that the State Fair supports, so I got involved in the State Fair of Texas Saddle Up Committee.
At its core, the Fair is something different for everyone, and each visit to the fair is a unique experience of its own. This year, the most poignant for me was experiencing Fair Park, largely empty during a heavy rain (some of my favorite fair memories are soggy ones), when most of the outdoor activities were closed. I ventured over to the Vietnam Memorial and had a quiet moment in the rain, thinking about my dad, who was in Vietnam and passed away last year.
The State Fair is truly an experience that bridges generations.
Republished with permission from D Magazine