What Happens to All That Leftover Food at the State Fair of Texas? Here’s Where It Really Goes:

Every autumn, when the State Fair of Texas winds down and Big Tex takes his final bow, a quieter, equally Texan tradition gets underway. As the crowds thin and the last funnel cake is sold, dozens of concessionaires begin boxing up what’s left — thousands of pounds of unused food that won’t go to waste.

Since 2015, the Fair’s food and beverage vendors have come together for State Fair Cares, a post-Fair food drive that channels surplus ingredients and prepared items to neighborhood food pantries and shelters around Fair Park. Early Monday morning, less than 24 hours after the gates close, trucks from local nonprofits line up behind the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center to collect donations that will feed families across South Dallas.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the initiative. More than 80 concessionaires — the folks behind turkey legs, corny dogs, and every imaginable fried treat — are expected to participate. Their contributions, which might include frozen meats, vegetables, baked goods, or dry supplies, go directly to organizations that can turn those leftovers into hot meals within hours. Among the recipients: Aunt Bette’s Community Pantry at St. Philip’s, Cornerstone Community Kitchen, Dallas Bethlehem Center, Empowering the Masses, Inspired Vision Compassion Center, Jubilee Park Community Center, Our Calling, St. Paul United Methodist Church, T.R. Hoover, and The Well Recovery Center.

“It’s about making sure good food doesn’t go to waste and that our neighbors benefit from the Fair’s success,” said a Fair representative. “Our concessionaires are part of this community, and they want to give back.”

Even Big Tex Urban Farms, the Fair’s on-site hydroponic growing project, joins the effort each year, donating freshly harvested produce grown just a few hundred yards from the fairgrounds’ midway. The combination of fresh greens and fairground favorites makes for an uncommon mix — and a meaningful one.

For the pantries and shelters, the Monday pickup is a welcome annual event. With the Fair’s crowds drawing nearly 2.5 million visitors each season, the volume of food produced and stored is massive, and so are the potential leftovers. What might have become waste instead becomes dinner for hundreds of Dallas families.

The State Fair Cares donation drive takes place Monday, October 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center, 1403 Washington Street in Fair Park. Representatives from each partner organization will collect and sort donations on site, ensuring the food reaches local tables within hours.

So, what happens to all that leftover food from the State Fair of Texas each night? It doesn’t disappear into dumpsters or storage — it’s packed up, loaded into vans, and driven straight into the community. In the shadow of Big Tex, it’s one more reminder that this fair’s biggest servings might just be generosity and goodwill.

Learn more about State Fair Cares or find ways to support the program here.