State Fair of Texas

The saying “Everything is bigger in Texas” rings true when it comes to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) attractions. The metroplex’s attractions are loud, large, big, and exciting, keeping visitors entertained and engaged. Whether it’s enjoying the luscious outdoors, flying fast on thrilling rides, or getting your two-step on, here are the top 20 things to do in the DFW.
An authentic Texas cowboy experience can be found in nearby Fort Worth, approximately an hour’s drive from downtown Dallas. The Fort Worth Stock Yards are situated in a national historic district, which retains the feel of a Western movie set and even hosts a twice-daily cattle drive. Complete with brick walkways and wooden corrals, this is the place to visit if you’re looking to step back in time. Daily rodeos, horse-and-cart rides, the world’s largest honky-tonk, and a choice of BBQ joints make this the Texan experience many tourists are looking for.
Toyota Music Factory is set to be one of the most thriving entertainment concepts in Dallas Fort Worth. The Pavilion is the centerpiece, a concert stage that has hosted big name acts and speakers like Ringo Starr, Hillary Clinton, and Trevor Noah. There’s also 25 restaurants and an Alamo Drafthouse. Big Beat Dallas will be a major aspect of the Toyota Music Factory, offering live music daily, a morning farmer’s market, an open container beverage policy between Big Beat Dallas restaurants, and late-night hours.
Pioneer Plaza is a park that’s home to trees and man-made cliffs, but the centerpiece of the park is the life-size sculpture that recreates a cattle drive, complete with bronze longhorn cattle and three cowboys on horses. Visitors often hike around the cliffs, take photos with the longhorn sculptures, and marvel at the waterfall.
While casinos are illegal in Texas, Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie offers some gambling fun with a Class 1 horse track. It receives 800,000 visitors per year and offers horse races on weekends during the season, a sports bar, and year-round events like concerts, weddings, and meetings. With seating for 8,000 people and a one-mile track, the odds are good that you’ll have a great time here.
Seeing a bison up close and personal is possible at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, a fantastic area that offers 3,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and prairies full of wildlife, including a fenced-off section for bison. Hike for hours, launch a canoe in the river, or spy a herd of bison — at a safe distance, of course. It’s well-worth the price.