Plus, the Texas Rangers are headed to the White House.
 
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🍽️ Move over Fletcher’s Corny Dog

Cotton candy bacon and drowning taquitos — chow down on the 2024 Big Tex Choice Award finalists
Photo of three Texas statues as awards
The winning Best Savory, Best Sweet, and Most Creative dishes will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 22. | Photo courtesy of the State Fair of Texas
City Editor Kate, here. I can honestly say that I’ve never been more excited for the State Fair of Texas, which kicks off Friday, Sept. 27. My mouth is already watering in anticipation of the 10 Big Tex Choice Awards food finalists.

Photos of savory state fair foods

Too bad this screen isn’t scratch-and-sniff.

|

Photos courtesy of the State Fair of Texas

🌭 Savory snacks

Dominican Fitura Dog | The classic corn dog gets an upgrade with fritura cheese and Dominican salami and topped with garlic plantain chips, secret sauce, and cilantro.

The Drowning Taquitos | Hand-rolled chicken taquitos take a dip in the fixin’s — tangy cream sauce, jalapenos, guacamole, lettuce, tomatillo, pico de gallo, and cotija cheese.

Hippie Chips | Crunch on potato chips smothered in homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing, bacon bits, green onions, and a swirl of sriracha.

Hot Chick-in-Pancake Poppers | Take a Nashville hot chicken and pimento cheese sandwich on-the-go since its rolled into a ball, fried in pancake batter, and drizzled with sriracha and powdered sugar.

Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs | Munch on deep-fried barbecue bites filled with brisket, shredded potatoes, bacon, and cheese, then glazed with raspberry chipotle barbecue sauce.

Photos of sweet state fair snacks

How many of these can we try before we get a stomach ache?

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Photos courtesy of the State Fair of Texas

🍭 Sweet treats

Nevins Nutty Bar-laska | Top a classic nutty bar with marshmallow, Oreos, strawberry sauce + freeze-dried strawberries.

Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick | What’s better than cotton candy? Cotton candy with bacon inside, obviously.

Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignettfle | New Orleans comes to Fair Park with a beignet-meets-waffle pastry topped with strawberry custard, vanilla icing, fluffy whipped cream, and sprinkles.

Texas Sugar Rush Pickles | Don’t worry pickle-haters — you won’t even taste the brine on these cotton-candy flavored pickle slices because they are coated in Lucky Charms, Froot Loops, and Cap’n Crunch, three types of sugar, and strawberry syrup before being topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tropical Two-Step Punch | Sip an alcoholic or zero-proof punch with notes of citrus, passionfruit, and mango.

Don’t believe that the Big Tex winners are worth the hype? Last year’s fairgoers will back us up.
Grab State Fair tickets
Marksmen
 
Events
Thursday, Aug. 8
  • Summer Cocktail Class | Thursday, Aug. 8 | 6:30 p.m. | Refinery 714 | $66 | Learn to make two summer sips, with the help of professional mixologists at the sky-high bar on the 24th floor of the Kimpton Harper Hotel.
  • PBR Stockyards Showcase | Thursday, Aug. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Cowtown Coliseum | $62-$85 | Hold your breath for eight seconds while daring riders do their best to hang on to raging bulls.
Friday, Aug. 9
  • “Raft Project” | Friday, Aug. 9-Saturday, Aug. 24 | 8:15 p.m. | Southside Preservation Hall | $11-$27.30 | Hip Pocket Theatre is taking a break from the outdoor heat with the world premiere of a topsy-turvy play by Lake Simons and John Dyer.
  • Josh Ward | Friday, Aug. 9 | 10 p.m. | Billy Bob’s Texas | $28-$31 | Head to the world’s largest honky-tonk to ride the mechanical bull and then dance to songs like “Somewhere Between Right and Wrong” from the Houston-based artist.
Saturday, Aug. 10
  • Foam Wonderland | Saturday, Aug. 10 | 6-11 p.m. | Texas Live! | $59-$119 | Cool off with a dance party full of multi-colored bubbles featuring DJs ARMNHMR, Bear Grillz, Canabliss, and more — ages 18+.
  • North Texas Soccer Club | Saturday, Aug. 10 | 7:15 p.m. | Choctaw Stadium | $52 | The MLS Next Pro club, a reserve team for FC Dallas, will take on Sporting Kansas City II.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Biz

How do Tarrant County’s movers and shakers stay ahead of the competition?

a man sits at a table sipping coffee while looking at his laptop
If you like FTWtoday’s take on culture, you’ll love 817 Biz’s snippets on the local economy. | Photo via Pexels
It’s simple: They all read 817 Biz, a free newsletter packed with bite-size business news that helps readers stay informed + competitive in the local marketplace.

The best part? It takes less than five minutes to read.

Join local professionals, aspiring business owners, and entrepreneurs by subscribing to 817 Biz. See it in your inbox on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
Sign up
News Notes
Olympics
  • 33. That’s how many medals Texas athletes have earned in the 2024 Paris Olympics — 11 gold, 13 silver, and 9 bronze. If Texas were its own country, it would be sixth in the total medal count. Stay up-to-date with the last few days of the Games via WFAA’s coverage.
Civic
  • City Council is considering a seven-year tax abatement for an expansion of the GE on Wing property near DFW Airport. If approved on Tuesday, Aug. 13, the GE Aerospace engine maintenance provider will invest $50 million in the city + add 100 full-time jobs by the end of 2026.
Trending
  • Hello, Mr. President — the reigning World Series champions are scheduled to meet with President Biden today at 3 p.m. in Washington DC. This is the franchise’s first visit to the White House.
Number
  • $2.7 million. Five cities and the state’s travel office are investing that amount to bring the MICHELIN Guide to Texas. Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin will each contribute $270,000 over three years to boost food tourism. Dine at these reader-recommended MICHELIN Star restaurants. (Fort Worth Report)
Concert
  • Sweet potato pie and shut (your) mouth — legendary country band Alabama is rolling into Dickies Arena on Friday, Dec. 7. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. Did you know Alabama has released 26 albums in the last 55 years?
Edu
  • The new Eagle Mountain High School is ready to welcome its first 850 students on Monday, Aug. 12. The school district recently dedicated the $271 million school on Bonds Ranch Road that will one day hold 2,400 students. (Fort Worth Report)
Development
  • Texas A&M University is partnering with Synapse Virtual Production to build four virtual production stages for the across the College Station and Fort Worth campuses. As early as mid-fall, students will have access to large LED walls and real-time game images that can be used for workforce training and simulation.
Sports
  • TCU offensive lineman Cade Bennett will not be on the field for opening day on Friday, Aug. 30 after a season-ending injury. How will coach Sonny Dykes adjust? Find out from Stephen Simcox, local expert of the TCU Horned Frogs, with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
    Finance
    • The phrase “time is money” comes to life when considering compound interest, a wealth-building strategy. At first results can appear minimal, but when coupled with time, it can have a tremendous impact. See how you implement this strategy in your own wealth-building journey with help from United Texas Credit Union.*
    Biz
    • What do 12,000+ local business leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs do on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings? They read 817 Biz, Tarrant County’s premier business newsletter that features no-snooze, bite-size business news. Sign up for free to see it in your inbox.*
    Coming Soon
    • Psst… Have you seen the progress at The District Butcher? This concept is set to feature high-end meats, prepared meals, catering, cooking classes, and more in The District at Willow Park. Stay tuned for an official opening date.*
    Older Adults
    • What’s on the horizon? Retirees can dive into volunteering with AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP. Put your skills to work, brighten lives, and enjoy the perks of staying active — physically, mentally, and socially — by giving back to our community. Help neighbors with grocery shopping or provide companionship to those in need.*
    Travel
    • Psst. Want to fly out of DFW for less? It’s Going’s annual birthday sale — get 40% off a Premium membership and get notified about amazing flight deals all year long (like $166 to Cancun).*
     
    Edu

    🎒 School is (almost) in session

    20 school districts in Tarrant County
    FTW-arlington-height-high-school
    Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth opened its current location in 1937. | Photo by FTWtoday
    Over 370,000 students are headed back to Tarrant County public schools in the next few days. We’re giving you the 411 on enrollment, student-teacher ratio, tuition, and more for the area’s 20 school districts. And don’t worry, there won’t be any homework.

    Before we dive in, here are four fast facts about schools in Tarrant County:
    • There are 572 public schools and 153 private schools in the area.
    • Tarrant County public schools have an average math proficiency score of 39%.
    • Meanwhile, the average reading proficiency score is 51%.
    • Minority enrollment is 72% of the student body.
    Did you know that Tarrant County boost two of the top five school districts in the state?

    Carroll ISD | No. 3 school district in Texas
    • Number of schools: 11
    • Number of students: 8,389
    • Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
    • 99% graduation rate
    Grapevine-Colleyville ISD | No. 4 school district in Texas
    • Number of schools: 21
    • Number of students: 14.013
    • Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
    • 95% graduation rate
    Keep reading to see how the 18 other local school districts measured up.
    City Guides are presented by Walsh.
    Check the report card
    Asked

    What is the average public school student to teacher ratio in the US?
    A. 10:1
    B. 15:1
    C. 17:1
    D. 25:1
    Test your knowledge
    The Buy

    The Buy 8.08.24 (Affiliate)
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    The Wrap
     
    Kate Mazade

    Today’s edition by:
    Kate
    From the editor
    Shoutout to the readers who tried our “brat” terminology matching quiz earlier this week.

    Nearly all of our respondents are “so Julia,” mastering most of the popular slang with ease, but others “flopped” when it came to telling the difference between “ate,” which refers to doing something well, and “period,” which describes excitement. Allow us to provide some context clues.

    The City Editors ate with today’s newsletter. FTWtoday is our favorite local, unbiased news source in Cowtown. Period.
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