State Fair News

State Fair of Texas to donate leftover food the day after it closes

State Fair Cares donates leftover food to families in need.

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The State Fair of Texas will celebrate its last day on October 20, but Big Tex and the gang will be up bright and early the day after on Monday, October 21 with State Fair Cares, an annual tradition in which State Fair of Texas food vendors donate their leftover food and drink to North Texas families in need.

The initative, which began in 2015, involves more than 80 food and beverage concessionaires who donate their unused or leftover food items to local Fair Park area food pantries and shelters as part of the State Fair Cares initiative.

Additionally, the Fair’s Big Tex Urban Farms make a donation of fresh produce.

The amount of food available for a donation depends on much food is left over following the closing of the 2024 State Fair of Texas. Donations are based on what vendors are serving, but could range from potatoes and tomatoes to bread, hot dog buns, canned soup, cheese, animal crackers, cereal, jars of pickles, sugar, and flour, now gifted to local food pantries. There's even produce and frozen items.

The fair's goal is to not waste food, and also give back to the community, a spokesperson says.

Fair Park area food pantries and shelters will pick up donations to help feed local families in need on Monday morning.

The organizations participating in 2024 — chosen because of their ability to impact the local community through current feeding and outreach programs — include Cornerstone Community Kitchen, Dallas Bethlehem Center, Incarnation House, Inspired Vision Compassion Center, Jubilee Park Community Center, OurCalling, St. Paul United Methodist Church, TR Hoover CDC, and The Well Recovery Center — all of which have the capacity to distribute the food to children, adults, and seniors or other organizations in the South Dallas/Fair Park area.

This is the ninth year this event will be held.

The State Fair Cares Food Drive will take place at the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center in the holding area behind the arena, at 1403 Washington St.

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Doughnut News

Luscious doughnut shop Duck Donuts makes Fort Worth debut

Photo courtesy of Visit Addison

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A decadent new doughnut shop is coming to Fort Worth: Duck Donuts, a North Carolina-based chain known for serving doughnuts made to order, will open a shop at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd. #A within the Ridglea Plaza Shopping Center in Fort Worth.

According to a release, the shop will open on Saturday December 21 at 7 am.

Duck Donuts opened its first locations in 2007 in the beach resort towns of Duck and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the intention to create an oasis for vacationers. They're now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and began franchising in 2013, with more than 150 locally owned and operated shops across 26 states and international locations. There was previously a DFW location in Addison on Belt Line Road that opened in 2020 but it did not survive the pandemic.

The Fort Worth shop is owned and operated by husband-and-wife Justin and Morgan Thomas.

“We are delighted to be opening in Fort Worth,” Justin says in a statement. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doubhnuts.”

The 1,035-square-foot shop reflects the franchise’s reimagined design which gives a modern twist on their iconic beach theme and family-friendly atmosphere. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by the aroma of warm, light vanilla cake doughnuts.

Customers can create their own combination by choosing from coatings, toppings, and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

Key to their appeal is the viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their doughnuts being made.

Many of their flavors have a beachy theme such as the Beach, a cake doughnut with vanilla icing dusted with cinnamon sugar; the Sunrise with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle; and the Beach Ball with vanilla icing, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle.

They rotate in seasonal offerings such as the current lineup of mint-flavored flavors including chocolate icing with mint buttercream. The doughnuts themselves are limited to vanilla and chocolate cake; the flavors come primarily from icing.

In addition to doughnuts, the Fort Worth location will serve coffee, doughnut breakfast sandwiches, doughnut sundaes — in which a doughnut is topped with ice cream and syrup — plus frozen beverages and milkshakes.

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