From September 30 to October 23, one of the most cherished celebrations of pure Texas spirit will take place at the Dallas Fair Park. For more than a century, the State Fair of Texas has been known as the longest community-based festival in the U.S., and the musical lineup for this year is not to be missed. Twenty-four days of music will be delivered by top-notch artists playing everything from funk to country and rock to hip-hop.
State Fair organizers have now released details about the music and stand-up comedy acts performing at the festival. Like previous years, the headliners will open the fair with a bang on the first night.
Those who attend on September 30 will enjoy a live performance by country music veteran Trace Adkins, still going strong at the age of 60, and who will be playing songs from his 2021 album The Way I Want to Go.
Adkins will play the Fair Park main stage at 8:30 p.m. He will be followed the next day by Grammy winner Ashanti, who has returned to live music after pursuing an acting career. The Ashanti concert is scheduled for October 1 at 4:00 p.m. She will be followed by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans at 8:30 p.m.
Grammy winner Lucinda Williams is scheduled to play on October 9 at 8:30 p.m. Despite revealing that she suffered a stroke a couple of years ago, Williams has been on tour since last year thanks to a careful recovery regime. Fans of this celebrated singer and songwriter who revered her 2020 album Good Souls Make Better Angels will be able to enjoy this new material when she plays at the fair later this year.
Fair organizers aim for musical diversity each year, particularly when it comes to booking Texan artists. To this effect, the Bud Light and Yuengling stages at the Fair Park will feature concerts and stand-up comedy routines performed by artists from the Lone Star State.
The Mariachi Rosas Divinas, for example, is a renowned band from Dallas that routinely sells out stadiums when they tour in Mexico. The Vandoliers are a Tejano band that mixes rock with everything from country to Rancheras. The members of the Jamestown Revival duo grew up attending county fairs across Texas, and now they get to play the state fair; this duo has garnered attention from music critics impressed with their modern interpretation of American folk.
Concerts at the State Fair of Texas can be enjoyed by anyone who purchases single or multi-day tickets.