State Fair of Texas in Dallas announces new safety rules and policy for all attendees aged 17 years old or younger
Dallas, Texas – In the wake of last year’s disruptive false shooting scare, officials at the State Fair of Texas have instituted a new policy that will affect fairgoers aged 17 and under. According to an announcement made on Tuesday, attendees in this age group will now be required to be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone who is 21 years of age or older if they are to enter the fairgrounds after 5 p.m. each day of the event.
State Fair of Texas in Dallas announces new safety called “minors policy”
The policy, dubbed the “minors policy,” also stipulates that each parent, guardian, or chaperone can be responsible for a maximum of six minors. As part of the implementation of this policy, all adults tasked with accompanying minors will be required to present a valid form of identification upon entry to the fairgrounds from 5 p.m. onwards.
However, once inside the fairgrounds, the policy does not mandate that the accompanying adult remain with the minors throughout their visit. Despite this, the State Fair of Texas still strongly recommends that the adults maintain regular communication with the minors they are supervising and stay informed of their whereabouts while on the fairgrounds.
State Fair of Texas in Dallas safety policy comes after last year’s incident
While the fair did not explicitly state the reasons behind the introduction of this new policy, it is worth noting that last year’s event was marred by an incident in which fairgoers caused a commotion by running through the crowd in an attempt to create chaos.
This was initially mistaken for a shooting scare and led to a temporary disruption of activities at the fair. Although a spokesperson later confirmed that normalcy had been restored to the midway and the fairgrounds with people once again lining up for rides and food stalls, the fair decided to cease operations an hour earlier than scheduled on that particular day.
Jaime Navarro, State Fair of Texas chief operating officer, said in a statement that public safety is fair officials’ top priority.
“Comparable policies are being instated industry-wide, and the State Fair of Texas believes this policy is the best course of action to enhance the existing safety measures for all fairgoers, vendors and employees,” Navarro said.
The State Fair of Texas is scheduled to take place from September 29 to October 22 in 2023. Those interested in getting a sneak peek of what’s in store in this year’s concession stands can click here to check out the finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards.
