Senior Thursday at the State Fair Falls on a Day the Addison Fair Bus Doesn't Run

The 2026 State Fair of Texas opens Friday, September 25, and runs through October 18. This year DART is running a weekend bus from Addison Transit Center that goes straight to the fairgrounds. The fair's best deal for anyone 60 or older is $7 admission, and it's only available on Thursdays. The Flyer doesn't run on Thursdays. The Green Line does, and it starts at North Carrollton/Frankford Station.

That changes how you plan a fair day from Bent Tree West. You have two park-and-rides to choose from, and each one works best for a different kind of trip.

A Thursday Ticket Costs Less Than Fair Park Parking

Official State Fair parking is $25 per space. Here's how that compares with the 2026 gate prices for guests 60 and older:

The Thursday price is $7 at the gate or $9 online with fees, and it applies every Thursday of the fair. Children ages 3 through 12 are $10 on any day, and children 2 and under get in free.

If you drive, parking costs more than three Thursday tickets. That makes the ride there part of the budget, and the ride that works on Thursdays starts on Frankford Road.

The Train That Starts on Frankford

North Carrollton/Frankford Station, at 1717 W. Frankford Road in Carrollton, is the northern end of DART's Green Line, and it has 1,677 free parking spaces. Because trains start there, you board a train that's still empty, and you don't transfer anywhere on the way to the fair.

On DART's posted weekend timetable, a train that leaves North Carrollton/Frankford at 10:08 a.m. reaches Fair Park Station at 10:59 a.m. That's about 51 minutes, and morning trains on that schedule leave every 20 minutes. Fair Park Station is on Parry Avenue at the fairgrounds entrance.

If the Frankford lot seems out of the way, Trinity Mills Station at 2525 Blanton Drive in Carrollton is one stop south on the same line and has 494 free spaces.

DART is adding a rail car to the Green Line on weekends for up to 800 more passengers. On weekends and October 12, Orange Line trains also run to Fair Park Station. So the Green Line isn't only the weekday option. It runs every day of the fair, and on weekends it has company.

What the Addison Flyer Adds, and When

DART's September 16 release calls this year's service the return of the State Fair Flyer. It runs Saturdays, Sundays and October 12 from Addison Transit Center at 4925 Arapaho Road, which has 300 free parking spaces. The bus drops you at Lot 8, a few steps from the Midway Gate, and picks you up there for the trip home.

The schedule shapes the whole day. Buses leave Addison every hour starting at 9:30 a.m. DART's fair page lists the last departure at 4:30 p.m., and its September 16 release says departures continue "until 5 pm." Return buses leave Lot 8 every hour on the hour from noon until the last one at 8 p.m. A round trip costs $6, and you can buy passes at the transit centers or in the GoPass app.

Here's how the two options compare:

If you want a weekend afternoon at the fair and a ride home before dark, the Flyer covers it. If you want Senior Thursday or plan to stay late, take the train.

Saturday, October 10, needs its own plan. That's the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. DART is adding Flyers from CityLine/Bush and SMU/Mockingbird stations and running all light rail lines every 20 minutes that day. DART's fair page also describes extra Green and Orange Line trains through Fair Park every 10 minutes, so check GoPass for the day you're going.

Paying the Senior Fare Before the Card Arrives

DART's reduced fare is half the regular price for qualifying seniors, and it works on buses, rail and the TRE. A Local Reduced Day Pass is $3. The regular Local Day Pass is $6 and covers unlimited rides until 3 a.m. the next day.

Timing matters here. Riders 65 and older can apply online for a reduced-fare Tap Card, but DART says the card is mailed within 15 business days after your eligibility is verified. If you apply today, the card may arrive in mid-October, close to the fair's last weekend. You don't have to wait for it. DART says riders over 65 can use a Medicare card as ID when buying or using a reduced fare at a ticket vending machine.

A Senior Thursday for one person could look like this:

1. Park for free at North Carrollton/Frankford.
2. Buy a $3 Local Reduced Day Pass at the ticket machine, with your Medicare card ready.
3. Ride the Green Line to Fair Park Station.
4. Pay $7 at the gate.

That's $10 for the day before you buy any food, which is less than half of what parking alone costs.

DART also has a "Stars, Stripes and Savings" offer. It takes $5 off a one-day fair ticket bought online with a promo code from the Events tab in the GoPass app, up to four tickets per order. It's valid through October 18. The fair says discounts can't be combined, so the code won't lower a $7 Thursday ticket any further. It's more useful for a weekend group or a weekday visit that isn't a Thursday.

Where the Two Entrances Put You

Your ride decides which gate you start from. The Green Line lets you off at the Parry Avenue entrance. The Flyer drops you at Lot 8 near the Midway Gate. If you're heading for the new food, it helps to know where it is before you arrive.

The Old Mill Inn is back for 2026 with food, drinks and an outdoor patio, plus the new ZiegenBock Stage near Big Tex Circle. The 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards winners are:

• Best Taste–Savory: Burger Chop Tater Tacos
• Best Taste–Sweet: Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog
• Best Taste–Sipper: Tropical Coco Fresca
• Most Creative: Berry Me in Matcha

On crowds, the fair's own guidance from 2025 recommended weekdays and said Opening Weekend has historically been less crowded than later weekends. That was last year's pattern, not a promise for 2026. Still, it matches the pricing, which favors weekdays and Thursdays in particular.

The Addison Lot Works After the Fair, Too

Addison Transit Center also serves DART's Silver Line, which opened on October 25, 2025, and runs from Addison to DFW Airport's Terminal B without going through downtown Dallas. On DART's weekday timetable, a train that leaves Addison at 4:46 reaches Terminal B at 5:18. That's 32 minutes. Departures run every 30 minutes at busier times and every hour through much of the midday. At the airport, American Airlines passengers go through security at Entry B43. Travelers on other airlines who are checking a bag take the free Terminal Link shuttle to their terminal. The same 300 free spaces you might use for the Flyer this fall also work for your next flight out of DFW.

At Beck Residential Group, we plan most things around the people involved, and a family fair day is no different. If you're helping a parent plan a Senior Thursday, or you'd like to talk through what getting around North Dallas looks like at the next stage of life, we're happy to help. Let's Connect.