KC Sheperd talked with Marketing & Public Relations Specialist Scott Munz about the Oklahoma State Fair set to kick off on September 12 and run through September 22, 2024, in Oklahoma City.
Many experienced Oklahomans look forward to the State Fair, not only for the excitement, revenue, and entertainment it provides but also for the rain that always seems to fall at some point during the 10-day period in an otherwise dry season.
The State Fair Park media team recently released a press release detailing their new attractions and creative new food choices to be found at the fair. “We are excited about it,” Munz said. “Everyone around here gets a sense of excitement, and the adrenaline level here is off the charts. We are excited to get the gates open and offer our efforts to the Oklahoma public.”
Munz admitted that he has been dubbed among his peers as the Official Fair-Food Taster. “My all-time Hall of Fame favorite is the Polish sausage from Netterfields Concession, up on the circle. I think it’s the best food product and has been for many years, so you will find me there more often than not, but I do go around and try some of the new offerings also,” he said.
Music artists are also popular attractions at the Oklahoma State Fair and all of the concerts are free with gate admission. The Chickasaw Country Entertainment Stage opens on September 12, a day known as Tinker Federal Credit Union Thrifty Thursday and it is also College Day, meaning that students with college IDs only pay $5 at the gate rather than they general fee of $8.
The concert lineup is as follows:
- Thursday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. – Niko Moon and Shaylen with Austin John Winkler
- Friday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. – Morris Day & the Time
- Saturday, September 14 at 8 p.m. – Jefferson Starship
- Sunday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m. – Epic Eagles
- Monday, September 16 at 7:30 p.m. – We Are Messengers
- Tuesday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m. – Journey from the Heart
- Wednesday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. – Shawn Klush – Tribute to Elvis
- Thursday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. – Mark Chesnutt
- Friday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m. – Hinder (Encore)
- Saturday, September 21 at 8 p.m. – Uncle Kracker
- Sunday, September 22 at 7:30 p.m. – Los Herederos de Nuevo Leon
The fair is always filled with families, and special exhibits for children are spread throughout the grounds. “It starts in the Oklahoma Expo Hall with Agtropolis,” Munz detailed. “We will also have an inflatable corn maze over there. There will be a Bird Paradise show in the Bennet Event Center. There will be a Petting Farm and a live animal Carousel.
“There will be daily schedules, and we have a very robust website at okstatefair.com. In a week or so, we will have a calendar of events, and there will be signs outside the barns to show which animals are on display or in competition on any given day in the barn, so there really is something for kids everywhere. If I were to try to outline everything for kids, it would take thirty minutes, I think.”
The website is constantly improving to make visiting the fair as easy as possible for everyone to easily find the exhibits, food, and other shows and attractions. It currently features a Food Finder so you can find the foods you seek with less legwork, and they are also working on a Product Finder. For the most up-to-date information on the fair, tickets, concert info, and more, you can go to OKStatefair.com.
State Fair Park has been building a new coliseum, and Munz said that the construction logistics will be about the same as they were last year. The entry gate will be Gate Six from Delmar Gardens off of Reno Avenue, and attendees will have to walk around the construction area to enter the Fair.
“We expect the new coliseum to be open in June or July of 2025,” he said. “Unless unforeseen circumstances occur, the new building will be open for the 2025 State Fair. Once it is open, we will tear the current Jim Norick Arena down, and then begin construction of the new Gateway of Champions Promenade, which will connect the Superbarn to the new OG&E Coliseum. Even though we are having to work around the construction zone, it will all be worth it when it’s done.”
The new Coliseum will include exciting new amenities that promise to be good for everyone.
People-watching is a popular give-and-take activity at The State Fair, and several years ago, the State Fair was awarded by the Oklahoma Gazette for being the Best Place to Marvel at Humanity, and Munz had the honor of accepting that award.
“I know this is really corny, but people ask me what my favorite thing at the Fair is, and I tell them that I like to sit on my golf cart near one of the entrances and watch the people as they come in the gates, especially the little kids” he admitted. “You talk about sensory overload. I don’t care how old you are if you are a kid and your parents bring you out to the fair and you walk in those gates, there are sights, sounds, and smells all over the place – sensory overload, you don’t know which direction to go first. Just to see the smiles on their faces as they come in makes the long hours and extra work worthwhile.”