Carnival & Fair News

Running October 3rd through 14th, the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson arrived with some firsts this year, including one additional day. Key among the firsts however was a new use of technology: for the first time in the 165 years that the fair has run, tickets were made available on the state fair's web site.

The change meant reduced lines at the gate and for the parking – fairgoers could simply show their QR codes and enter both the parking lot and the fairgrounds. Tickets were priced at $8 in advance online or $10 at the gate; parking was free this year. In past years, gate admission was $5, with parking also priced at $5. Admission was free on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. except for the Monday Columbus Day holiday. In the past, fair admission was cash-only; this year, attendees could access admission tickets on their phones.



They could also purchase concert tickets and carnival ride wristbands online, further streamlining the fair going experience per Mississippi Fair Commission Director Michael Lasseter. He noted that if tickets were not purchased in advance online, attendees could visit one of the kiosks set up at seven fair entry points to purchase tickets that could then be sent to their phones. He added that the simplified process took only minutes for guests to use but months to realize.

Online purchasing wasn't the only thing that was new about the state fair this year: safety was enhanced with the presence of law enforcement from several agencies actively enforcing fairground rules. Those rules included a curfew of sorts: guests under the age of 18 had to be accompanied by an adult after 9 p.m.  IDs were required.

Attendance numbers dropped slightly this year, in large part because of high temperatures on the fair's first weekend, but agriculture and commerce commissioner Andy Gipson described the event as a success nonetheless, and one that fully lived up to its theme this year, “Let the Fun Begin!”

“Overall, the experience was very positive for people,” he relates, noting that “We were up several hundred on opening day, but it got so hot. Friday and Saturday it was still pretty hot, and on Sunday. That kills our numbers, in terms of breaking records.” Even though attendees could enter at no cost during weekday lunch hours, rising prices were also a concern for some in terms of food purchases and separately ticketed attractions.



Gipson said attendance overall was down 3 percent, with 506,952 fairgoers versus 525,576 in 2023.

All the same, officials are projecting an economic impact for the state similar to last year's $31 million.

The 105-acre fairgrounds offered a wide range of experiences this year, Gipson asserted. Among them was The Taste of Dixie National Rodeo promoting the 2025 Dixie Nationals rodeo events, which start in January. Mississippi offers one of the top 60 largest rodeos worldwide and is the largest east of the Mississippi River. A rodeo event was held daily at the fair. The Tri-State Rodeo held forth October 5-6, while the annual Horse, Mule and Pony Pulls took place during the second fair weekend.

The fair also sported a mile-long carnival midway from North American Midway Entertainment. There more than 60 carnival rides and over 100 food vendors this year. The Kid Zone hosted both rides for the smallest fair goers and kid-centric vendors, along with the Zerbini Family Circus which held two shows each day of the fair. Among the top performing rides were the Sky Screamer, Century wheel, Pharaohs Fury, Ring of Fire, Rock Star, and Zero Gravity. Kid Zone rides included the Fun Slide, Bumble Bees, and the Bear Affair. Popular midway games included Hoop Shots, duck pond, and balloon darts.



Ride wristband pricing varied between $30 and $35, depending on the day and time. Like fair admission, wristbands could also be purchased in advance online. Ride tickets were $.50 each, a dollar less than in previous years, with rides requiring between 9 and 15 tickets.

Beyond the carnival, there were plenty of other attractions, including a new Agripuppet show teaching kids about agriculture, a subject appropriate for the fair, which began as an agriculture showplace.

Music was another big draw for attendees, with concerts held at the fairgrounds Coliseum stadium. Performers included national name artists The Oak Ridge Boys, Matthew West, Dru Hill, and a group of performers for "We outside but inside party" that included LJ Echols, Jake Carter, Breeze Mr. Do2Much, F.P.J., Big Yayo, Kandy Janai and Frank Johnson. The fair also housed the Mississippi State Fair Beauty Pageant and the Mississippi State Fair Talent Show at the coliseum. On Senior American Day, Ronnie McDowell performed, and various information and health booths offered information pertinent to seniors.

Then there were iconic attractions such as a free biscuit booth on the midway serving up biscuits and syrup, a tradition half a century long. A new tradition in the making was the Tumbleweed Crossing Wild West performances, an award-winning comedy Wild West gunfight and stunt show that was held in the fair's Frontier section. Also new: an immersive hands-on 4-H and FFA Barnyard exhibition providing a fun way to educate a new generation about livestock and agriculture.

Attending the fair was a great way to show “support [for] agriculture, and our farmers need your support more now than ever," Gipson asserted.

Livestock exhibitions included swine, goats, cows, steers, heifers, sheep, rabbits, and dogs. Also on exhibit was horsepower: this year marked the 43rd classic car show put on by the Antique Vehicle Club, with dozens of historic vehicles displayed in the Mississippi Trade Mart building. $1 voting tickets were made available for fairgoers to choose top vehicles, the proceeds from which went to Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital.



Highlighting the free lunchtime fair admission, Gipson encouraged fairgoers to come for lunch if they did nothing else, and enjoy supporting fair vendors. There were certainly plenty of choices for dining, from classics such as a footlong corndog, funnel cakes, and fresh-squeezed lemonade to turkey legs, decadent donut burgers, pizza, and fried Oreos. But there were also healthier eats such as chicken on a stick and freshly farmed corn on the cob. Not exotic enough? Guests could try the fried mac and cheese, alligator, and beer-battered burgers, or the latest fried addition to the fair menu: fried marshmallows. The Cattlemen's Association Beef Barn was also on hand to grill up beefy burgers and more.

The State Fair Marketplace featured 73 vendors open inside the Trade Mart building. There was also a petting zoo, pig races, pony rides, and local musical acts as well as the main stage national performers.

The fair offered Friday giveaway events on its social media outlets, as well as promotion in online advertising and on television and radio.

This year, the fair ran one day longer than in the past, with the fair's schedule expanding to include the state's Columbus Day holiday. Gipson described the additional Monday as an extra day for “students and parents…to enjoy another day of fair fun.”