Summer Adventures at Fair Park~Newest Family Attraction in Dallas

Fair Park, home of the State Fair of Texas, is putting on its summer best to offer the newest family destination in Dallas-Summer Adventures.  Fair Park has long been a family staple in Dallas, and you can’t rightly call yourself a Texan unless you’ve been to the State Fair at least once.   Summer Adventures in Fair Park is like State Fair Lite, offering all the things that make the fair great-food, Ferris Wheels and fun.  The kids and I were invited to visit Summer Adventures to find learn a little bit more about the new kid in town.  Guess what?  We loved it and can’t wait to go back!

10 Things to Love About Summer Adventures at Fair Park

1.Unlimited Rides for one low price. No need to buy fair tickets, or pick and choose your favorites!  Every ride is included with your admission and you can ride as many times as your stomach can stand.  There’s nothing like saying “yes, you can!” when your kids beg to the Ferris Wheel one more time that makes you feel like a good mom.

2.Rides for big kids and little kids.  With a wide age range, this is something that really matters to my family.  Luckily, there were plenty of rides that we could enjoy all together and a good mix of big kid and little kid rides to keep everyone happy.  I particularly appreciated the layout of the park that allowed my big kids to ride the “stomach churners” while I found something fun to keep the little one busy nearby.

3.It’s not just rides.  It’s museums too!  Admission to the park also includes admission to the Texas Children’s Aquarium, Texas Discovery Gardens, and African American Museum.  Rides on the famous Fair Park Swan Boats are also included.  The pass is a perfect way to enjoy everything Fair Park has to offer at a tremendous savings. 

4.Plenty of places to cool off.  The summer heat in Texas is usually enough to force people to go into hibernation near an air conditioner and not come out until October, but Summer Adventure has a cool antidote to the hot weather.  Misters and fountains are located throughout the park, as well as “cool zones” where you can pop in and cool off.   One entire tent full of picnic tables is a perfect place to eat a cool lunch, or if you want a cool place to play, you can wander into the sandcastle tent or the Lego construction zone.

5. A variety of fun shows. Shows are some of the best parts of the fair, and there are plenty here to keep everyone happy. 

6.Fair Food.  Need I say more?  Corny dogs, cotton candy, and funnel cakes and all the other greasy goodness of the fair are ready and waiting.  But, just in case you want something a bit more sensible, there are plenty of other choices-from Tex Mex to BBQ .

 

7.A private place to party and relax. Two levels of “beach” cabanas are available for families or parties to rent.  $125 gets you a private cabana with two picnic tables, cable TV, a locker and a refrigerator.  For $250, you can rent your own cabana with all those amenities, plus…wait for it…your own air conditioned airstream trailer.  Pretty cool!

8.Fun places to play (and rest) with no line necessary.  I was most impressed with the creativity that was displayed in the play areas scattered throughout the park.  Giant chess and checkers games were located throughout, as well as reclaimed pianos just waiting for someone to play a tune.  The Island of Dogs and Cats was open to invite animal lovers to come and interact with a variety of breeds, while the Summer Adventures Greenhouse offered a miniature train village.  But, the best place, by far, is Sleepy Hollow, a shady oasis filled with lazy hammocks.

 

9.Family Friendly atmosphere.  I’m convinced that an army of the savviest moms on the planet were on the planning committee for Summer Adventure, because this place has everything that picky parents want in a fun zone.   Sparkly clean restrooms in abundance and super friendly employees are just the beginning.   A plush (and air conditioned) nursing mother’s room is available, as well as changing facilities for the little ones.  It’s the extras-like free sunscreen stations and free water when the temperature is over 95 degrees-that really go the extra mile for families.

10.No stress, more fun! My kids and I had a great time at the park, thanks to all these amenities, but also because it was just a low stress, easy day.  Although there were plenty of people attending, the crowds were small enough that it was easy to enjoy the rides and I didn’t have to worry about losing a kid in the press of humanity.  There was just enough of the really great stuff about the fair to make a full day, but not so much that it felt overwhelming.  At the end of the day, everyone was still smiling (including mom) and everyone was happy-tired from all the fun.  You can’t ask for much more than that.

Ten Quick Tips For Summer Adventure at Fair Park

1.       Bring or wear your swimming suit-including water shoes or flip flops.  There are plenty of wet places to play, including a body boarding slope, but the pavement is way too hot for bare feet.

2.       Don’t flip out when you see the food prices!  They are listed in credits, not dollars, and each credit is 50 cents.  Divide the credits in half to get the price.

3.       Speaking of food, picnics are not allowed inside the park, but a picnic area is available by the lagoon if you want to go back to your car to grab some lunch.

4.       Food and games can only be purchased with credits.  These need to be loaded at onto your ticket at a credit kiosk.

5.       Kids’ meals are available at the Funnel Cake stand on the Midway and at Bert’s Burgers.

6.       Nursing mother’s room is available at guest services.

7.       Show times are available online, if you want to do some quick pre-planning before you hit the park.

8.       To beat the heat, plan to arrive early and spend the morning on the Midway and then hit the museums and shows in the afternoon.

9.       Friend Summer Adventures on Facebook to keep up to date on discounts and special offers.

10.   Bring a refillable water bottle.  Water fountains with cold water are plentiful throughout the park.

~Summer Adventures provided us with a family four pack free of charge for the purpose of reviewing the park.  They did not require that I express a particular viewpoint and all opinions are my own.~