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State Fair of Texas | 2019 Review

December 4, 2019 Leave a Comment

I’m an official Texan now! Why? Because after three and a half years of living in Texas, I FINALLY went to the State Fair of Texas back in October! Y’all, it was everything I imagined! The food, the rides, the events, the FUN! It was a perfect fair day! 

I was able to pair my day at the fair with the home opener for the Dallas Stars. Yes, that means I had fun at the fair and then fun at a hockey game all in one day – the perfect day!

If you’re like me and don’t like huge crowds, go to the fair on a weekday. Of course it’s busy on weekends, but they also host football games at the Cotton Bowl on Saturdays, so it’s extra crowded. During most weekdays, they have some type of promotion going on where you can get your overall ticket to the fair for half price. Make sure you’re following them on social media before your trip to know about which days have discounts. 

First tip of the fair: be prepared to pay for EVERYTHING! I knew I would have to spend money, but definitely not as much money as I ended up spending. That’s not a bad thing, just more of a FYI. I would also recommend parking at the fair, not at one of the third party lots nearby. It’s $20 to park in the fair lot (just like the other lots), but the staff is so organized and it makes parking is super easy. Once you pay to get inside, you then have to pay for coupons. Everything requires coupons – food, drinks, and rides. I purchased a handful of coupons at the beginning, knowing that I wanted to do a bunch of stuff, but I ended up having to buy another handful midway through the day. 

My friend, Becca, and I got lucky and went in to the entrance right where Big Tex was. So, of course, a photoshoot happened with Big Tex and our brand new Big Tex cups! That was the one souvenir that I wanted!

This place is huge. It took us a while to understand the layout, but the maps are very helpful! Use big landmarks to find your way around – the Cotton Bowl, the big music stage, Big Tex, the Midway, and the Texas Star ferris wheel. Those helped us get from place to place.

Of course we’ve got to talk about the food! We were lucky to visit on Thrifty Thursday, so a lot of the food and drink were half off! I didn’t eat as much as I thought I would, but I did stick with the classics – a Fletcher’s corn dog and a large stick of cotton candy. Not going to lie – the corn dog wasn’t my favorite. Didn’t come anywhere close to  a Disneyland corn dog! Becca tried one of the Big Tex Choice Awards winners, the Southern Fried Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Ball. Huge tip! Almost all of the food and drinks are outside, except for the food court where most of the Big Tex Choice Award winners are. The food court is located in an *air conditioned* building behind Big Tex. If I had more time at the fair, I would spend a good bit of that time trying different types of food and sharing them with friends. They do provide pretty large portions of food at the booths, so share a plate with your friends!

I have a big love for carnival rides! You know, the rides that are probably not safe, but you have the best childhood memories of riding those rides all of the time! Becca and I were able to ride a few of the carnival rides, including an actually kind of scary, mini roller coaster that made me sick to my stomach. But it was still so much fun! I wish we had been able to ride the ferris wheel, but we’ll be able to ride it at the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day! Make sure you make time for the rides – it’s one of the best parts of a fair!

There’s a lot more to the fair than just food, drinks, and rides. Becca and I honestly spent a good bit of time sitting in rocking chairs, looking at the pond, and talking about anything and everything. We also enjoyed looking at farm animals – but I wish there was a petting zoo! – looking at the different competition items, and watching a pig race! We barely scratched the surface of all the things there were to do at the fair! My best tip: make a plan before you go! The state fair’s website is incredibly organized and such a helpful tool in planning! Of course, your plan can be to walk around and enjoy whatever you stumble upon. But you can also plan out the things that are most important, whether that’s a particular activity, food to try, or show to watch.

I would HIGHLY recommend any Texan or someone visiting Texas in October to visit the State Fair of Texas! I hope some of these tips help you in your planning. The fair already has their dates set for 2020, so start planning your trips now! I’m looking forward to making Fair + Hockey Day a yearly tradition!

Y’all have a good one!
-Alana

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Welcome!

Hey y’all! Welcome to The Hockey Creative, a hockey lifestyle blog that focuses on hockey rants and artwork inspired by my favorite hockey moments! Stick around if you love hockey inspired illustrations, opinions about every NHL team, and all the travel tips that you’ll need when visiting your favorite NHL team. You’re going to love this positive, hockey obsessed community!

Insta-Lana

Which team is the most underrated team in the NHL? Which team is the most underrated team in the NHL? Which team seems like they have the most fun and don’t give a shit what anyone thinks? Which team has the best goal song in the NHL? (Don’t @ me!) Who found the perfect Procreate brush to create this team’s... catchphrase? Is that what we call those?! 🔴⚫️⚪️
The answer to the last question is me! The answer to all the other questions is the @canes! And for real, what would we classify sayings like “Take Warning” as? I like the term catchphrase! 🔴⚫️⚪️
I can’t believe this is the first digital illustration I’m posting this season! I was randomly inspired by one of the @canes Instagram posts yesterday, so this illustration was born! Who wants to see both the Aho and Take Warning designs as stickers in the @starkandstanley shop?! 🔴⚫️⚪️
I’d rather be in Pittsburgh. 💛    If you I’d rather be in Pittsburgh. 💛 
 
If you know me well - or have met me for all of 5 minutes - you know that Pittsburgh is my favorite place on Earth, and I would love to be there all of the time. For the past few years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to celebrate my birthday in Pittsburgh, including last year when I returned home to Austin two days before my work sent me to home to work remotely “for two weeks”.  
 
Unfortunately, this year’s birthday celebration will not be in the Steel City. Jimmy and I are hoping to make it there later in the spring or summer, but I will not turn 29 standing in PPG Paints Arena like I hoped. (Yes, the @penguins have a home game on my actual birthday this year.) 
 
So I need your help! I want to bring Pittsburgh to my home in Austin! So what do I do?! Any special food or drinks I should have at the house for my birthday dinner?! Could the @themilkshakefactory share a shake recipe with me, since I always grab the birthday cake shake on my birthday?! Is the @pensfoundation still showing birthdays on the Jumbotron during home games?! Do I need a new outfit from @steelcitybrand to rock on my birthday?! 
 
Any and all suggestions and ideas on how to bring Pittsburgh to Austin for my 29th birthday are welcome! The number one to do list item that day will be to cheer on the Penguins to a win that night! 🐧 
  
(Special shout out to my beautiful friend, @lindsaylitterini, for the perfect mug! 💛)
Dreaming about giant pretzels at Epcot instead of Dreaming about giant pretzels at Epcot instead of concentrating on work. 🥨🥨🥨
Y’all say everything is bigger in Texas. I say e Y’all say everything is bigger in Texas. I say everything is bigger at Disney World!
🍻 Duff beer for me. Duff beer for you. I’ll h 🍻 Duff beer for me. Duff beer for you. I’ll have a Duff, you have one too! 🍻
Be loud, wear green, GO STARS!    I had Instag Be loud, wear green, GO STARS! 
 
I had Instagram choose my game day outfit on Thursday for the Dallas Stars game. The 2020 Winter Classic jersey paired with my favorite brown boots won the competition and really was the perfect outfit to wear to the game on Thursday night!  
 
A tip for you all: AAC is the coldest arena I’ve been to (so far). Even if the weather is nice that day, I have to take a coat or jacket with me. Thankfully, my gray peacoat looks great with the Winter Classic jersey! 
 
Jersey: @fanatics @fanaticsauthentic 
Jeans: @torrid 
Peacoat: @oldnavy  purchased on @poshmark 
Boots: @targetstyle 
Wristlet: @amazonfashion (no bags allowed at AAC this season!) 
Mask: @baublebar  Target 
Star Earrings: @francescas
Day after #gamedayselfie and the first game day se Day after #gamedayselfie and the first game day selfie at a game this season! 
 
I was very lucky to be able to go to the @dallasstars game last night! I drove to Dallas and back yesterday, so I’m exhausted today. 😴 But before I fall asleep at my desk, I did want to take a moment to say that I had an INCREDIBLE time at the game and being able to see a game in person definitely helped me get over the hockey burn out I had been experiencing in the last several months. 
 
I’ll share more about my experience at the game this weekend, but let me know if you have any questions or if there’s anything you want to know about what it’s like to go to a game right now! 
 
(PS: The neon jerseys looked INCREDIBLE in person! But they did clash with the traditional jerseys the @detroitredwings were wearing. 🙃 It would have looked amazing if both teams were wearing neon!)
It’s a great day for hockey!     Happy Sunda It’s a great day for hockey!  
 
Happy Sunday! Happy @penguins game day and first home game of the season! Happy “Alana’s first time creating a flat lay photo” day!  
 
Since my game day outfits on Friday and today consisted of leggings and t-shirts, I decided to show off my opening day outfit in my first flat lay! I’m OBSESSED with the Penguins retro jersey! I was on the fence about it when I saw it online, but it is GORGEOUS in person! You definitely need to get one!  
 
What are you wearing for game day today?! 
 
Jersey:  made by @fanatics  purchased at @pensgear (online)
Jeans:  @torrid 
Shoes:  @converse 
Bag: custom RoboPenguin bag by @sticktapdesigns 
Earrings: @baublebar at @target 
Bracelet:  @alexandani  purchased at @pensgear in December 2019
Ring: Pittsburgh skyline ring  @caitlynminimalist on @etsy
HOCKEY IS BACK! 💛    The NHL has officially HOCKEY IS BACK! 💛 
 
The NHL has officially started! Since most all of us fans will be watching from home this season, I’m starting a trend of posting a #gamedayselfie during every Penguins game! We might not be able to be in the arena cheering at the top of our lungs, but we can totally cheer just as much at home! Tag me in your game day selfies, no matter which team you’re cheering for! 
 
A little Instagram vs reality for you on this post. First picture is a staged selfie in my Pittsburgh chair, with the help of a selfie stick. 🤣 Second picture is a true selfie taken in front of my living room TV right after the FIRST PENGUINS GOAL OF THE SEASON! 🙌🏻
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