Every autumn, when the State Fair of Texas winds down and Big Tex takes his final bow, a quieter, equally Texan tradition gets underway. As the crowds thin and the last funnel cake is sold, dozens of concessionaires begin boxing up what’s left — thousands of pounds of unused food that won’t go to waste.
Since 2015, the Fair’s food and beverage vendors have come together for State Fair Cares, a post-Fair food drive that channels surplus ingredients and prepared items to neighborhood food pantries and shelters around Fair Park. Early Monday morning, less than 24 hours after the gates close, trucks from local nonprofits line up behind the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center to collect donations that will feed families across South Dallas.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the initiative. More than 80 concessionaires — the folks behind turkey legs, corny dogs, and every imaginable fried treat — are expected to participate. Their contributions, which might include frozen meats, vegetables, baked goods, or dry supplies, go directly to organizations that can turn those leftovers into hot meals within hours. Among the recipients: Aunt Bette’s Community Pantry at St. Philip’s, Cornerstone Community Kitchen, Dallas Bethlehem Center, Empowering the Masses, Inspired Vision Compassion Center, Jubilee Park Community Center, Our Calling, St. Paul United Methodist Church, T.R. Hoover, and The Well Recovery Center…