The sad truth is the main reason we go to the Fair is to get a smoked turkey leg. I said it was sad. This year our smoked turkey leg cost us $93.

We ate at the Texas State Fair in Dallas last week. That’s about ALL we did. It cost us $15 to park and $14 each to get in the front gates. To purchase any food or rides requires that you exchange your cash for coupons. They sold coupons at the rate of 20 coupons for $10 (fifty cents each), and a cup of lemonade was 8 coupons. (The glass was packed with ice and might have had 4 ounces of lemonade in it.) We split a corndog, smoked turkey leg, and some ice cream bars, and shared another lemonade. The last of $50 worth of coupons was spent to travel roundtrip on the sky tram. Any way you add it up, that’s most of a $100 bill GONE. And it was just two people. No other rides, no games, no purchases of any kind. I’m still stunned.

On the positive side, the weather was fabulous—80 degrees and clear—we couldn’t have asked for more. The people were nice and the crowd was small. Word is that attendance is down this year, no doubt due to the distressing economic news and uncertainty, plus the high cost of attending. And the small crowd meant that traveling the midway was pleasant, and viewing the exhibits was a breeze. No elbows in your back!

I’m going to perfect smoking turkey legs in my smoker and set up a tailgate outside the Fair next year. I’ll be at the Fair and I’ll get to eat all the smoked turkey legs I want while saving money. Heck of a deal!

If you are going to be in Dallas, have enough money to park and get inside the gate, and are wearing a great pair of walking shoes, there is lots to do and see that doesn’t cost anything extra. CLICK HERE to see everything the Texas State Fair has to offer this year!