Each year in Lubbock, Texas, folks kick the new season off with the South Plains Fair. It’s a beautiful tradition of miscellany; there’s fair food, fair rides, baking competitions, arts and crafts competitions, the livestock show, and more vendors than you can count with hundreds of bright stuffed animals and toys. This year is no different. The fair is in full swing this week, running through September 29, and it’s a perfect way to greet fall, which is now officially here! The South Plains Fair is not only in full swing, but one of the biggest fairs in Texas. It is fondly referred to as the “Granddaddy of West Texas Fairs,” second only to the State Fair.
Local News
The Granddaddy of West Texas Fairs: Lubbock’s Century-Old Tradition
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Photo: Anna Hedges
Each year the fair boasts numerous attractions, most of them free. This year the highlights include Kachunga and the Alligator, Aussie Kingdom, Rock-It the Robot, and Moto Maniacs. At Aussie Kingdom, fair-goers have the opportunity to see exotic creatures such as Swamp Wallabies, Bennett’s Wallaby, and an Albino Western Gray Kangaroo. During the Kachunga and the Alligator show, American bushmen display their skill and alligators to a crowd of curious onlookers. And, of course, there are the rides. The Reithoffer Rides include the traditional Ferris wheel and the grand carousel, family-friendly rides for little ones, and roller coasters for the adventurous. The line-up this year boasts more than thirty rides for fair-goers to choose from. These and more lend an exotic and exciting appeal to the South Plains Fair!
Photo: Anna Hedges
This year, as I walked through the myriad colorful booths, huts, and tents, I did my best to keep up with the different deep-fried foods I saw. The list includes the usual fair staples; hot cheese, jalapenos, pickles, corn dogs, Snickers, but there were also Reese’s, Oreos, cake batter, s’mores, cheesecake, cookie dough, Suzy Q’s, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When I’m wandering through the food booths, it’s clear that the fair is community-centered. Some of the booths are hosted and curated by local churches, others by school groups, one by the Lubbock Firefighters. The South Plains Fair is unique in its efforts to give back to the Lubbock community; that’s why most of the food vendors are local rather than professional. And it gives back in more ways than one; just look at this deep-fried cookie dough. Absolutely delicious!
Photo: Anna Hedges
The fair’s appeal is not just in the amazing food or colorful attractions, however. The sense of community extends to the competitions; there’s an entire building devoted to baked goods, quilts, china painting, fine arts, and photography. It’s a rare opportunity for the youth of Lubbock to show off their skills, either in agriculture, arts, or livestock. It may not be an economic necessity like it was a hundred years ago, but it’s still an opportunity for the people of west Texas to get together and show off their work.
It’s particularly poignant to consider these things when imagining what the first fair was like. Farmers gathered to compare their produce and swap agricultural knowledge, while their families socialized and exchanged recipes. While this scene from 1914 is very different from what you find at the fair today, the goal is the same: to strengthen Lubbock and the surrounding communities by coming together and celebrating the start of fall.
