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    Fairs and Festivals

    Gate admission and grandstand concerts are usually separate tickets

    State fairs, Mardi Gras and the Balloon Fiesta sell two kinds of access: getting through the gate, and a seat for the headline event.

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    Albuquerque

    Albuquerque explained: Balloon Fiesta, the Pit, Isotopes Park, Tingley Coliseum, Popejoy Hall and the amphitheaters, plus how to get to each.

    Albuquerque, NM
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    Dallas–Fort Worth

    Dallas–Fort Worth explained: which arena fits which show, the Improvs and Hyena's, the teams, and how to get between them.

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    New Orleans

    Saints and Pelicans games, Jazz Fest, Frenchmen Street clubs, comedy and Broadway tours: how the New Orleans event calendar works.

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    New Orleans Jazz Fest

    Jazz Fest explained: the two-weekend schedule, how day tickets and VIP tiers work, stage strategy, the shuttle and what you can bring.

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    Oklahoma Sooners football

    Where to sit at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, how the Red River game in Dallas works and which home games draw the most demand.

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    Texas Longhorns football

    Where to sit, which games sell out and how tickets work for Texas Longhorns football at DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.

    Austin, TX
    By the Good Seats editorial teamUpdated How we research

    What fairs and festivals include

    This category covers large public celebrations that run for days or weeks: state fairs with grandstand concerts, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and other cultural festivals built around a place and a tradition rather than a single lineup. The most important thing to know before you buy is that these events usually sell two separate kinds of access. Gate admission gets you onto the grounds. The headline experience (a grandstand concert, a reserved parade seat, a premium viewing area) is often a second ticket.

    That split is the opposite of a music festival, where one wristband covers every stage. Lineup-driven events are covered on the Music Festivals hub; this page is about fairs, fiestas and parades.

    The audience is broad. In the National Endowment for the Arts state survey for 2022, about 21 percent of US adults attended an outdoor festival performance, with rates well below that in some states (Florida at 14 percent, New York at 12 percent).

    The big state fairs and when they run

    State fairs follow a fixed calendar, which makes them easy to plan around. Three of the largest:

    • State Fair of Texas at Fair Park in Dallas, first held in 1886, usually opens on the last Friday in September and runs 24 days. The 2026 fair runs September 25 to October 18. It drew 2,020,064 visitors in 2025, its lowest attendance in eight years. The Red River Showdown between the Texas Longhorns football and Oklahoma Sooners football programs is played at the Cotton Bowl stadium inside Fair Park during the fair, which makes that October Saturday the most crowded day on the grounds. The Dallas–Fort Worth guide covers the rest of the region's calendar.
    • Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, between Saint Paul and Minneapolis, runs 12 days ending on Labor Day, a format it has kept since 1975. It set its attendance record of 2,126,551 in 2019. The 2027 fair is scheduled for August 26 to Labor Day, September 6.
    • Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds since 1886, runs 11 days in August on 445 acres. It set an attendance record of 1,182,682 in 2024 and drew 1,160,121 in 2025. The 2027 fair is scheduled for August 12 to 22.

    Grandstand concerts vs. gate admission

    Each of these fairs handles music differently, and the difference decides what you need to buy.

    • Minnesota: the Grandstand, remodeled in 2003 to seat about 17,000, books ticketed headline concerts through the fair. The fair states plainly that concert tickets do not include admission to the fairgrounds. Seating comes in three types: reserved seats (folding chairs on the plaza in front of the stage and theater-style seats in the raised mainstand), a general admission standing pit for some shows, and standing-room Party Decks at the east and west ends.
    • Iowa: the Grandstand, built in 1909, set a record of 131,755 concertgoers in 2025. Grandstand tickets do not include fair admission either, and each show's map shows whether the track in front of the stage is a seated or standing pit.
    • Texas: the State Fair of Texas takes the other approach. Concerts on the Chevrolet Main Stage are included with fair admission on all 24 days, so the gate ticket is the only one you need.

    Where to sit at a grandstand show comes down to how you want to spend the night. The standing pit puts you closest to the stage but means standing for the whole set. Flat plaza chairs are close too, but on level ground your view depends on the people in front of you. The first rows of an raised mainstand look over the floor crowd and give the clearest full-stage view, which suits older fairgoers and families. The Minnesota State Fair grandstand guide warns that a weather delay does not trigger a refund, so check the forecast and the fair's policy on the day.

    Mardi Gras: free parades, paid seats

    Mardi Gras 2027 falls on Tuesday, February 9. The Carnival season starts on January 6 (Twelfth Night), and the biggest parades are packed into the final days before Fat Tuesday. The parades themselves are free; no ticket is needed to stand on the route. A 2020 study estimated that Mardi Gras brings 1.4 million visitors to New Orleans.

    The main Uptown route runs from Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street down St. Charles Avenue toward downtown, then turns onto Canal Street toward the river. The krewes (the clubs that build and ride the floats) range from the historic Rex to the super krewes Endymion, Bacchus and Zulu.

    The paid option is grandstand seating, sold by passes along the route. A grandstand seat is worth it if you want a guaranteed spot for a super krewe night without staking out curb space hours ahead, or if you are bringing children who will not last on their feet. The free alternative works best Uptown, where crowds are thinner and families set up for the day. If you bring a ladder, the city's tourism guidance says to keep it at least six feet back from the curb. The New Orleans city guide covers hotels and the rest of the year, including New Orleans Jazz Fest each spring.

    The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

    The Balloon Fiesta began in 1972 with 13 balloons as part of a radio station's 50th birthday. It now launches more than 500 hot air balloons over nine days in early October from Balloon Fiesta Park on the north edge of the city. The 2026 Fiesta runs October 3 to 11. Up to 100,000 spectators can be on the launch field on a single day.

    Tickets are sold by session rather than by day. One session covers all of the morning activities or all of the evening activities, and a general admission ticket is good for one session on any day. There are no evening sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or the final Sunday, and children 12 and under are admitted free. Parking is a separate charge, and the Fiesta runs Park and Ride service; buying either ahead is the single best way to avoid the dawn traffic.

    The mornings are the main event. Mass ascensions launch in two waves, the first typically around 7 a.m., and the walkable launch field lets you stand among the crews as the envelopes inflate. Evening Balloon Glows light grounded balloons with their burners, often followed by fireworks. Premium options such as the Gondola Club and Chasers' Club add reserved space and amenities; details are on the official Balloon Fiesta site. The Albuquerque city guide covers lodging, which fills early for Fiesta week.

    How tickets for fairs and festivals behave

    Gate admission is the easy part. It is sold in large volumes and often discounted in advance. The tickets that behave like concert tickets are the headline add-ons:

    • Grandstand concerts go on sale months before the fair, usually through the fair's own ticketing partner (Minnesota uses Etix). Big-name shows can sell out like an arena date, and resale is how most late buyers get in. As of 2026, Minnesota's policy is no refunds or exchanges.
    • Parade grandstands are sold by a range of operators along the route, so confirm the exact location, which nights are included and what the seat covers before you pay.
    • Premium festival areas such as Balloon Fiesta clubs are limited and sell out for the peak weekends first.

    Read every listing for one detail: whether gate admission is included. Most grandstand tickets do not include it. On resale orders through Good Seats, every order is backed by a 100% guarantee. The guides How to Avoid Ticket Scams and Ticket Fees Explained cover what to check before you buy from any seller.

    Tips for your first fair or fiesta

    • Buy two tickets if you need two. For a Minnesota or Iowa grandstand show, budget for both the concert ticket and gate admission, and arrive early enough to clear the gate lines.
    • Pick your day by crowd, not just lineup. Weekends and holiday days are the most crowded at every state fair; at the State Fair of Texas, Red River Showdown weekend is the busiest of all.
    • Dress for the hours. August fairs are hot in the afternoon, and Balloon Fiesta mornings start cold before sunrise.
    • Check the policies on the day. Bag, weather and re-entry rules change from year to year.

    Related categories include the Rodeo hub, the Food and Drink Festivals hub for tasting events, and the Film Festivals hub for screenings. For lineup festivals, start with Music Festivals.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does a state fair grandstand concert ticket include fair admission?

    Usually not. The Minnesota State Fair and the Iowa State Fair both state that grandstand concert tickets do not include admission to the fair. The State Fair of Texas is different: its Chevrolet Main Stage concerts are included with fair admission.

    When is the State Fair of Texas?

    It usually opens on the last Friday in September and runs 24 days at Fair Park in Dallas. The 2026 fair runs September 25 to October 18.

    Do you need tickets for Mardi Gras parades?

    No. The parades are free to watch from the route. Grandstand seats along the route are sold separately for people who want a guaranteed spot.

    How do Balloon Fiesta tickets work?

    A general admission ticket covers one session, either all morning activities or all evening activities, on any day. Children 12 and under are free, and parking is a separate charge.

    When is the Minnesota State Fair?

    It runs 12 days ending on Labor Day. The 2027 fair is scheduled for August 26 to September 6.

    Sources

    Card and header photos come from Wikimedia Commons contributors under Creative Commons or public-domain terms. Artist and license for each one are listed on the photo credits page.