State Fair of Texas boosts security for Red River Rivalry weekend

DALLAS – The State Fair of Texas is ramping up security for the weekend of the Red River Rivalry.

During Saturday's UT-OU game, the fair expects to host around 200,000 people or more. As a result, the fair has implemented extra security measures that will affect visitors this weekend.

"We have covered every base. And people should feel very, very safe," said Nate Gross, vice president of fair operations.

Gross told CBS News Texas that the fair has added extra cameras, staff, and police for the weekend.

"Numbers are at their highest for this day, out on the grounds, and there's an entire other crew working. From our security service, from the police that is separate from anything that's happening on the fairgrounds, they are focused 100% on the game," Gross said.

If you are traveling from outside DFW, note that the bag policy and gun policy have changed for all visitors. You can only bring a 9 x 10 x 12-inch bag or cooler or smaller, but it doesn't have to be a clear bag. Also, visitors can no longer bring a gun inside the fair unless they are a licensed officer. This change is new to the fair this year, following a shooting in 2023 that injured three people.

Further inside the fairgrounds is the fair's new high-tech command center.

"We wanted to have 24/7 active monitoring of everything happening on the fairgrounds," said Rocky Vaz, director of State Fair Command.

Vaz said his staff is on standby, monitoring every call and the more than 100 cameras on the fairgrounds. He said each call is streamlined to the center, which also speeds up response.

"With all the resources that they have, whether it's video footage or traffic, all the information is available to them in one place," Vaz explained.

The fair will also open at 7 a.m. Saturday, which is two hours earlier than usual. Therefore, the biggest advice is to come early and review the rules on the fair's website beforehand.