If you attended the State Fair of Texas over the weekend, you saw the enormous crowds. Some were probably there to memorialize Big Tex, but it looks as if just about everyone found time to spend some money.
Speaking of Big Tex, the Fair is still making plans for how they’ll bring him back, with more information to be released after the group’s governing board tackles the issue.
Meanwhile, State Fair officials report that this year’s Fair may have surpassed the all-time revenue peak set in 2010 of $37.3 million; that announcement will come later today.
In the meantime, here’s some other numbers summarizing the 2012 Fair:
* The grand champion steer sold for $104,000
* 140,000 people visited the Girl Scouts of America exhibit in the Hall of State; the Girl Scouts handed out 60,000 sleeves of cookies to visitors
• Fairgoers donated 204,527 pounds of canned food as part of a promotion benefiting the North Texas Food Bank; last year’s previous donation high mark was 189,182 pounds
• 117 dogs were adopted at the Fair through a promotion with the City of Dallas Animal Services and DFW Rescue Me
• 40,000 Fairgoers tried their hand at driving vehicles as part of Chevrolet’s Ride & Drive promotion near the Coliseum.
The 2013 Fair is scheduled Sept. 27-Oct. 20, and The Lion King will be the featured musical at the Music Hall.