The State Fair of Texas says 77 rides and attractions are now setting up on the Midway at Fair Park for Friday's opening. The State Fair of Texas runs from September 30 through October 23.
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Rusty Fitzgerald, vice president of operations, says the fair has five inspectors on the grounds who "check each ride from top to bottom."
"The State of Texas requires each ride to be inspected once a year," he says. "That's not good enough for us."
Fitzgerald says inspectors also travel to other fairs to inspect rides before they are approved at the State Fair of Texas. This year, he says crews went to the state fairs in Minnesota and Iowa.
"What a lot of people don't realize is our midway is an independent midway, which means we can go out and pick each individual ride that comes to the fair," he says. "We pick the biggest, the best and the best operators in the country to come to our fair. That makes it really easy for us to have a good ride selection and a safe one."
Each ride is required to post health and safety guidelines at the entrance. Fitzgerald urges families to follow those guidelines before getting on. He also says people should secure loose change, wallets, keys and cell phones they may keep in their pockets before getting on.
"You'd be amazed how many cell phones we find that people lose on the rides," he says. "Please keep that in mind and read the safety signage."
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