DALLAS - Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today welcomes visitors to the State Fair of Texas and invites them to stop by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Food and Fiber Pavilion to celebrate the best of Texas, enjoy some Texas-sized fun and learn about the many ways Texas agriculture impacts their daily lives. The Pavilion is located near the famous Cotton Bowl Stadium in the center of Fair Park. Once again this year, the Pavilion is packed with some of the tastiest food and wine pairings, entertainment and shopping around.

“I’m a proud Texan, and there is no better place to celebrate your Texas pride than at the State Fair,” Commissioner Miller said. “You can learn about the many reasons why Texas agriculture matters and discover some of the most unique Texas-grown and Texas-made products from our GO TEXAN members. I’m excited for folks from across the state and around the world to visit the State Fair and experience the best of Texas firsthand.”

The Food and Fiber Pavilion, sponsored by Southwest Dairy Farmers, is a 25,000-square-foot facility showcasing Lone Star agriculture and hundreds of GO TEXAN products. GO TEXAN promotes the products, culture and communities that call Texas home. The Pavilion provides visitors with a glimpse into the many reasons why Texas agriculture matters with exhibits throughout.

One of the most popular attractions in the Food and Fiber Pavilion is the GO TEXAN Pioneer Brand General Store, which features hundreds of Texas-made products. Visitors can take home a piece of Texas-made goodness by shopping in the General Store. Plus, while supplies last, visitors will receive a free GO TEXAN cookbook and commemorative calendar poster with any purchase.

New to the Food and Fiber Pavilion this year is TDA’s The Great Plate of Texas booth — an interactive exhibit designed to engage children in the journey their food makes from farm to plate. Inside, visitors will find a farmers market stand, seasonality wheel that highlights when different produce items are in season, a cafeteria line where kids can create healthy plates and various videos that teach children about where their food comes from. The star in the center of the booth is a hands-on display for kids to learn about the components of a healthy plate, including grains, dairy, protein, vegetables and fruit, and participate in fun games like guessing different fruits by their smells and animals by the sounds they make. Additionally, a photo booth has been set up with various farm scenes as the backdrop, so visitors can always remember their experience at the Food and Fiber Pavilion.

Visitors to the Pavilion are encouraged to share their experience via social media by tagging posts with the hashtags #gotexan and #sfot. Tweets will be featured live on screens throughout the Pavilion.

Here are some highlights for the first week of the fair at the Food and Fiber Pavilion:

Open Daily

• Southwest Dairy Farmers Ice Cream Parlor. Opens at 10 a.m.
• The Great Plate of Texas Booth. Opens at 10 a.m.
• Sampling Opportunities, GO TEXAN Member Products. Beginning at 10 a.m.
• Kitchen Craft Cooking Demos. Starting at 10 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 25

• Texas Toffee Sampling. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Fair Housing Display and Kids Coloring Activity. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Brownie Samples with Kitchen Kimberley and Kilgore Rangerettes. Noon – 2 p.m.
• Interactive Harvester Experience. 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 26

• Texas Forestry Games and Craft Demos. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Suzi and Rick Musical Performance. Noon – 2 p.m.
• Klassy Kloggers Dance Performance. 4 – 6 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27

• Davis Mountains Nut Co. Samples. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Jewelry Making Demo: Nadia's Creations. Noon – 2 p.m.
• Kerens Library Cotton Harvest Festival (Music and dancing). 4 – 6 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 28

• Picklelicious Pickles Samples. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Ultimate Backyard: Game and Beef Recipes. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Interactive Omni Globe and Trivia Games. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 29

• Carmie's Kitchen Samples. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Interactive Displays Featuring Cotton and Wheat. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Texas Honey and Live Bees. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 30

• Landscape and Plant Inspirations. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Historical and Cultural Travel Experts. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1

• Kid-friendly Options Spotlighting Texas-grown Products. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Fair Housing Display and Kids Coloring Activity. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2

• Farm Fresh Fridays Cooking Demo: Kid-friendly Options. Noon – 2 p.m.
• Cowtown Opry Performance. 4 – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3

• Nolan Ryan Beef Samples. 10 a.m. – Noon, 2 – 4 p.m.
• Cooking Demo: A&E Seasonings. Noon – 2 p.m.
• Suzi and Rick Musical Performance. 4 – 6 p.m.

TDA’s Food and Fiber Pavilion is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. The fair runs Sept. 25 through Oct. 18. Click here for a map of the fairgrounds, list of vendors in the GO TEXAN General Store and more.