DALLAS - The best day of the week for Cedar Creek Lake retirees to visit the State Fair of Texas is on Thursday because admission is free for anyone 60 or older. The State Fair of Texas traces its roots back 125 years, and it remains one of the highlights of Dallas' tourist attractions. There's always something new every year, and the best of the past is always repeated. The 24-day exhibit, running from Sept. 28 through Sunday, Oct. 21, celebrates every aspect of life in Texas. Concerts, new automobile displays, livestock and agricultural shows, artistic events, sports games, historical exhibitions, nighttime parades, food products, wine tastings and carnival rides are just some of the many attractions awaiting visitors. And if you've never seen "Big Tex," the giant cowboy that greets fair-goers, you've never really seen the most popular personality of Texas. General admission to the fair is $16 for adults, $12 for seniors on days other than Thursday, and $12 for children age 3 up to 48-inches in height. Children 2 and under are free. But don't miss the fair if those prices are beyond your reach. Visit http://www.bigtex.com/sft/ to see all of the daily specials that you can participate in to drop the admission price to one you can afford. UPDATE: Before the fair ended for 2012, Big Tex, pictured below, caught on fire Oct. 19 when electrical wiring apparently malfunctioned. The 60-year-old icon was destroyed. Fair officials promised to bring a new Big Tex back next year who would be bigger and better.