If you’ve ever been to a shopping bazaar or craft fair, you know the options of artisan soaps, old-fashioned candies, leather goods, kitchen gadgets, and meal mixes are endless. These items are staples, and for good reason. You’ll find them all over the shopping areas of the State Fair of Texas.
But we wanted to find the weird stuff—the gifts we can’t find at any old small-town boutique, or even in Texas. So we rounded up nine odd and intriguing businesses from any state except the Lone Star. Each are setting up shop at the State Fair this year. You can find our full Fair shopping guide here, but be sure to check out the following during your next visit to Fair Park.
Ascot Drifting
The nice thing about living on the prairie is that you’ve got plenty of flat land to skate around on. Buy yourself a new longboard and roll away at Ascot Drifting. This new-to-the-fair Florida company sells all sorts of cruisers, longboards, and light-up wheels. If you want a thrill you can’t find in landlocked Dallas, try the drift skates—the inline skates are like skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding all in one, according to the company. Find it at Grand Place.
Butterflies 2 Go
It might seem creepy and crawly, but folks have been making art out of bugs for millennia. If this is your thing, stop by Butterflies 2 Go, which has multiple booths at the State Fair this year. The Arkansas maker specializes in preserved butterflies and moths, which it frames to show off these insects’ colorful and unique wings. The company sources its insects from Peruvian butterfly farms, where all their bugs live out their full lifecycles. Find it at Gateway Pavilion and Embarcadero.
B & B Glass Studio
You’ve heard of dogs playing poker. Now what about glass chickens cheating at Texas Hold’em? Or riding a snowboard? Or sitting on a swing? B & B Glass Studio is here to bring the absurd to life. Since 2012, Rene Burri and Bob Brown have been blowtorching and sandblasting tubes of lab glass into zany creations in their Massachusetts studio. Their goal is to craft fun and whimsical figurines that are surefire conversation starters. Find it at the Craft Pavilion.
Chill-N-Reel
It’s a fishing dilemma for the ages: How can you reel in your big catch while continuing to drink your beer? No one has three hands. Luckily for fishermen everywhere, one Oklahoman firefighter came up with the perfect solution. Jacob Rutledge slapped fishing line and a reel onto a beer koozie, sold it, pitched his product to Shark Tank, and the rest is history. Find it at Gateway Pavilion.
Cornhole Customs
Ahh, cornhole—you’re the hero of the family barbecue or drunken tailgate if you show up with this quintessential game in tow. You’ll be legendary if you appear with personalized set of boards and bags from new-to-the-fair Cornhole Customs. South Dakota-based Jessica Hamilton will print whatever you want, be it movie posters, a beloved family photo, or your college logo, onto your cornhole set. Find it on First Avenue, near the Old Mill Inn.
Medieval Mapmakers
The State Fair meets Renaissance Fest at this new-to-Texas booth. Wisconsin-based Jesse Kennedy creates fantasy-style, medieval-inspired maps of pretty much anything you can imagine. Think Lord of the Rings-esque maps of states or Game of Thrones-worthy plots of regional golf courses, serial killers, and bowling alleys. Kennedy, who began mapmaking 11 years ago, will also draw out maps based on literary work collections by various writers, like Shakespeare (where the heck is fair Verona?). Find it at the Craft Pavilion.
Rock N Roll Jewelry
If you’ve got the music deep in your soul, somedays you just have to show it. And what better way than with jewelry? This Florida-based company makes necklaces, bracelets, and more from real guitar strings and picks. Founder Peter Holmbeck came up with the idea to reuse his old strings more than 30 years ago. The booth will also vend music and guitar paraphernalia, custom engraved drumsticks, and more. Find it at Gateway Pavilion.
Toe Wranglers
You think your outfit is complete—all your buttons are done up, the ’fit is fire, your makeup’s on point—then dang it, you forgot your toe ring. The small accessory packs a shiny punch. Find a new ring at the Western-themed Toe Wranglers booth. The Kentucky company sells custom-fit silver rings that range $10–$99 so you can always look your best. Find it at Gateway Pavilion.
Whiskey in a Week
It’s been ages since the days of moonshiners, but if you want to relive that bootlegging daze, check out Whiskey in a Week. This new-to-the-fair booth sells ready-made kits in mason jars and gallon jugs to brew your own bourbon and scotch in just seven days. Based in South Carolina, this company is the passion project of neuroscientist Rutledge Ellis-Behnke. He also sells clan tartans, if anyone’s looking for a kilt. Find it at Grand Place.
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