The State Fair of Texas has $422 million economic impact on Dallas-Fort Worth

More than 2.3 million people went to the State Fair of Texas last year, generating about $422 million in economic activity from visitors and exhibitors in Dallas-Fort Worth, per a new economic study.

Why it matters: The fair is more than fried food , rides and auto shows. It's actually an economic boon for North Texas.

• Plus, your Axios Dallas writers unabashedly love the fair and all its flair.

Driving the news: The three-week extravaganza starts Friday and continues through Oct. 20.

State of play: About the same number of people attend the fair each year, but the event's effect on the North Texas economy has grown in the past decade.

• In 2016, the fair was estimated to have a $307.6 million economic impact on the region, about $100 million less than last year's.

Flashback: The fair increased the cost of coupons , used for rides and food, from 50 cents to $1 in 2021.

By the numbers: About a quarter of fair visitors weren't from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, per an analysis by the University of North Texas Economics Research Group.

• About half a million people from outside North Texas visited the fair last year, including more than 240,000 from out of state. The visitors spent about $135.3 million.
• The fair generated $70.5 million in local, state and federal tax revenue last year. The majority was in federal taxes.

🏈 Meanwhile: The Red River Rivalry — the annual football game between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma — is a massive draw to the fair every year.

• The game and the State Fair Classic generate about $62 million in economic impact every year.

If you go: The fair updated its security protocols this year, including implementing a gun ban .