North Texas Daily

School is not the only thing back in session this August. Every year, vendors, rodeo contestants and country singers bring their talents, products and food to the heart of Denton at the annual North Texas Fair and Rodeo.

The event’s 95th run lasted from Aug. 18-26 and offered plenty for the North Texas community to do before the fall season rolled in.

But this year, things looked slightly different due to the hotter-than-normal weather. So much so, that carnival rides did not operate until 7 p.m. for the safety of fairgoers. Excessive heat warnings and burn bans have also been in effect in Denton County to provide information on how to stay healthy during extreme hot weather.  

With the recent heat wave, people are encouraged to stay properly hydrated to prevent heat sickness.  

“Heat illnesses are something that are very serious, especially when you have the temperatures we’ve been having lately,” said Damon J. McDaniel, Denton County Sheriff’s Office sergeant. “Whenever we’re talking about hydration, a lot of the things we’re talking about is loss of electrolytes […] the good ways of replacing them would be your typical drinks like Gatorade, Powerade and, of course, water.”   

To beat the summer heat, many fairgoers turned to Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream for relief. This D

enton Square classic has been in business for 96 years and has been a vendor at the North Texas Fair and Rodeo for two decades.  

“I’ve been working at the fair for a few years now, and it’s pretty fun,” Beth Marie’s employee Clarice Holloman said. “I get to help people and serve people. Whenever people are overheating, I can help them calm down.”  

Beth Marie’s is also a partner of Go Texan, a Texas Department of Agriculture initiative that helps support and connect Texas businesses to the resources and funding they need to make quality products. The initiative’s logo appears on many snacks and treats found in stores across the Lone Star State.  

“Any product that is Texas made and based, we love to get their foot in the door to be in stores and be around state and to just get the word out for them,” said Neely Kirkland, Department of Texas Agriculture field representative. “There could be a honey store down the street from you, and you could choose to do that rather than buying at a big-name brand store, which was really helping communities.”  

The needs vary across Texas depending on the region because of the state’s size and diversity of need. In rural areas, the focus is more on farmland and growing produce. In cities like Denton, the focus is on helping local businesses, shops, and boutiques. Go Texan also goes to different fairs across the state throughout the year and has local businesses set up so that more people can discover them.  

The Cookie Crave is another Go Texan partner who was at the fair for their second year. They are a Black woman-owned business in Denton that sells allergy-friendly cookies in various flavors. The local cookie shop sells vegan cookies and does catering deliveries as well. 

“About 25 percent of all of our customers that have come back into the store have some sort of allergy because they can literally die from nuts, eggs,” said Tommy Locker, a Cookie Crave server and Integrative Studies major at UNT. “We’re kept afloat largely by the allergy community who have to eat something sweet but usually don’t get to at events like this.”   

There were dozens of more businesses present both indoors and outdoors at the fair this year, all with the goal of providing locals with the community-soured products, foods and services.

Featured Image: Denton Rodeo and Fair attendees ride the rollercoaster at the annual North Texas Fair and Rodeo on Aug. 25, 2023. Brendan McDonald