State Fair of Texas Guide: Oct. 7-Oct. 14

She ain't got that swing? Thanks for noticing.

And we’re back for the second week of the State Fair of Texas. Some helpful reminders: you can bring a cooler into the fair if you can’t or don’t want to eat all the fried junk. (We won’t judge you.) Just note that the cooler will be searched upon entry, and ixnay on the metal silverware and glass containers. Without further ado, jump for your day-by-day plan.

Friday, Oct. 7

Guided livestock tour. Check out all the animals the fair has to offer under the tutelage of someone who knows what he or she is talking about. Tours leave every 15 minutes, from 10 a.m. through 5:45 p.m., and last 50 minutes. All day, corner of Nimitz and Coliseum Dr.

Pan Am Beefmaster Cattle Show. Only one person can wear the crown of “beefmaster.” Show up to see who raises the best meat as participants from all across the United States show off their cows. 4 p.m., Livestock Judging Pavilion.

JB and the Moonshine Band, 8:30 p.m. Chevrolet Main Stage.

Saturday, Oct. 8

This game is the cause of much happiness, and much consternation.

Special hours. Parking gates open at 7 a.m., buildings and admission gates open at 8 a.m., and the stadium gates open at 9 a.m. Midway closes at midnight.

Red River Rivalry. No. 3 in the nation Oklahoma takes on No. 11 Texas, on the gridiron. 11 a.m. kickoff. Cotton Bowl.

Pan Am Donkeys, Mules, and Mini Donkey Show. The early bird gets the tiny farm animals. Horse-cousins from all over the United States are judged on things like “whitest teeth” and “loudest bray.” (Jokes. They’ll be judged on “Donkeymanship/Mulemanship” and “Single Hitch Pleasure Driving.”) 8:30 a.m. Livestock Judging Pavilion.

Traditional dancing abounds. Catch the Brazen Bellies (10 a.m., 11:10 a.m.), the Dallas Highland Dancers (10:20 a.m., 11:30 a.m.), Voces y Danza de Chile (10:50 a.m., 12:40 p.m.), Sol de Fort Worth Ballet Folklorico (noon, 1 p.m.), the Plano Senior High German Folk Dancers (1:40 p.m., 3:20 p.m.), Ayubu Kamau Drum and Dance Sacred Afrikan Society (2:30 p.m., 5:10 p.m.), Hula Halau Ohana Elikapeka (2 p.m.), Tusu Kusun Peru (2:50 p.m., 5:50 p.m.), Rachamim Israeli Dance Group (3:40 p.m., 6:15 p.m.), Ballet Folklorico Boriken (4:05 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:40 p.m.) Citra Indonesia (4:30 p.m.). You can also find more dancing at the The Women’s Museum all day.

Jack Ingram. 8:30 p.m. Chevrolet Main Stage.

Sunday, Oct. 9

Pie Contest. We love pie, but we admit that we lift our recipes from others. If you have an original recipe for both filling and crust, you’re eligible to enter this morning’s contest. And everyone is eligible to come by and snag a slice. 9:30 a.m. Contest Kitchen/Creative Arts Building.

Celebrity Kitchen. Maple and Motor is home to this year’s best burger, and Jack Perkins is the man to thank. He might be able to give you some tips on how to improve your backyard cookouts. 4:30 p.m. Celebrity Kitchen/Creative Arts Building.

The cheeseburger from Maple and Motor makes us melt.

Mechanical Bull Riding and Rollo Roper. Show off your lassoing skills or check an item off the Dallas Must-Do list by clambering up on the mechanical bull. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Truck Zone/RAM.

Monday, Oct. 10

Texas Forestry Association Seedling Giveaway. After devastating wild fires all over the state, do your part to help repopulate Texas’ trees. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Food and Fiber building.

Wine Talks. 1, 3, and 5 p.m. State Fair of Texas Wine Garden. Hear experts chat about local wine while you take a break and sip some.

Mitchel Musso. 5:30 p.m. Chevrolet Main Stage.

Tuesday, Oct. 11

Youth Agri-Science Fair. 9 a.m. Fur and Feathers Building. Come see the future of farming.

Celebrity Kitchen. T.J. Lengnick of Whiskey Cake and Dan Landsberg of Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa. 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. Creative Arts Building.

Zydeco Stingrays. 8:30 p.m. Chevrolet Main Stage.

Look at this cute little guy.

Wednesday, Oct. 12

Bring three cans of food or three other nonperishable, healthy food items and get in for $2. Yup. It’s courtesy of Kroger and the North Texas Food Bank, where the donations will go.

Celebrity Kitchen. Jill Bates and Chris McCord of Fearing’s and Laurel Weinberg of Craft Dallas. 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. Creative Arts Building.

Blue Bell “Have an Ice Cream Float” Day. Cool off with a free treat, which is something that does not happen at the fair all that often. Noon. Food and Fiber Pavilion.

Shoot Low Sheriff. 4 p.m., 5:45 p.m., 8:30 p.m. Chevrolet Main Stage.

Thursday, Oct. 13

Dallas Banjo Band. Noon and 4 p.m. Food and Fiber Pavilion.

Ronald McDonald Show. 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 3:30, and 5:30 p.m. Gateway Plaza. We wish Ronald was bringing the Hamburglar, but we’ll settle for the big happy clown himself. This will please kids, if they are fans of Ronald McDonald.

Friday, Oct. 14

Jaguar Drivers’ Club of North Texas. 10 a.m. Grand and 1^st Ave. Our grandfather once considered purchasing a Jag, and he was sold until he took a look in the trunk. “Not enough space!” he declared, and went and bought another Lincoln. Still, these suckers sure are pretty.

Finger Eleven. 8:30 p.m. Chevrolet Main Stage.

DAILY ATTRACTIONS

Milking Parlor Demos. Watch cows from local farms demonstrate modern milking procedures. 11 a.m., 12:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30 p.m. Pan Am Barn.

State Fair of Texas Wine Garden. Enjoy wine by the glass and snacks daily, plus live music (including jazz) on the weekends. Experts will also conduct “wine talks.” 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays through Mondays, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. Wine talks usually occur around 1 p.m.

The Texas Skyway. Can’t decide where to eat, what to ride, or whom to see onstage? This 1,800-foot aerial track is a great way to scope out the fairgrounds.

To quote Cy Grant, Nina Simone, Michael Bublé, George Michael and the Pussycat Dolls, "birds flying high/you know how I feel."

Cirque Shanghai. A group of Chinese acrobats perform amazing aerial stunts and contort their bodies into all sorts of insane positions. Noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.; additional performance at 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Gateway Plaza.

BMX Bike Star Show. Big Time 720 Action Sports team performs gravity-defying feats. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. The Thrillway.

Pig Races. Three times a night, visitors can bet on their favorite bovines as they trundle down the pike. 6, 6:45, 7:45 p.m. Pan Am Arena.

United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corp. Catch these guys, who came all the way from Washington, D.C., every afternoon from Sept. 30 to Oct. 17 at Marine Corps Square, as well as each night during the evening parade (excluding Wednesdays).

Illumination Sensation. This nightly show—likely to leave the kids (and some of their parents) with mouths agape—features lights, water, music, and fireworks. 8 p.m. Esplanade reflecting pool.

Reliant Starlight Parade. We love a parade, particularly one with lighted floats, drum and bugle players from the U.S. Marine Corps, and giant puppets. 7:15 p.m.

Chevrolet Town Square. Test drive new cars and power up your mobile phone — a super handy feature that’s new this year. Activities for kids include a mini Texas Rangers wiffle ball stadium and a soccer shootout park. East Park Plaza near gate II.

Jump! Ultimate Dog Show. Dog lovers will want to check out this show demonstrating canine skills and agility at least once. 11 a.m., noon, 1 and 2 p.m. Pan Am Arena.

Farmer Mike Pumpkin Carver. Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Greenhouse on the Midway.

Kroger Birds of the World Showcase. 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. every day. The Band Shell.

Jeep Climbing Wall. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Jeep Show/Automotive Building.