Putting boundless spirit into the State Fair of Texas.
You might say that Errol McKoy’s life has had plenty of ups and downs…all good.
From a theme park career with Six Flags to his tenure as President of the State Fair of Texas since 1988, McKoy has brought excitement and thrills to millions of lives. “I just love my job,” he says proudly. “And yes, it’s a year-round job, even though the fair is a fall event. It’s an extraordinary opportunity to generate ideas that folks talk about for years.”
Growing up in Quanah, Texas, Errol McKoy attended the State Fair of Texas with his parents while he was in high school. Soon after, he found himself working as a ride operator at Six Flags Over Texas when it opened in 1961. He worked there in the summers during college and graduated from Northeastern State University with a degree in Economics. “My passion for amusement parks never ended,” he states. “I soon realized that maybe I could actually make a living in the field.”
Errol somehow finds time to relax with his wife, Sandy, who shares his commitment to enjoying life. They are now empty nesters and recently became grandparents for the third time. McKoy also loves sports cars and enjoys history, especially concerning World War II.
Taking fun seriously.
His Six Flags experience led to managing the Lake Amusement area of the 1965 New York World’s Fair. Next he became Operations Director of Six Flags Over Georgia followed by becoming the youngest person ever appointed General Manager of a major theme park at the age of 26. McKoy eventually became Executive Vice President over all Six Flags theme parks in 1981. He later spent several years at numerous White Water theme parks broadening his expertise. Then came the State Fair of Texas opportunity and he was overjoyed.
“It was a chance to put a thinking cap on and come up with the most entertaining, crowd-pleasing innovations across the rides, food, livestock, shows, museums, you name it. After all, it was THE State Fair of state fairs. When I first came on board, some people doubted certain ideas, but I knew that the right logistics could make all the difference.”
One example of McKoy’s perseverance is the Birds of the World show. “I was told that fairgoers would never walk all the way from the Midway to the Bandshell to see a show. The bird show actually worked out so well that it’s still one of our top attractions. It caught the eye of Disney and host Steve Martin now does his show for Disney’s Animal Kingdom and of course, for us.”
Creating new ways to make everyone happy.
Under McKoy’s visionary leadership, the State Fair of Texas has flourished, selling close to $300 million in coupons since 1988. This due in large part to bringing in unique attractions like the Elvis Presley exhibit, unusual food treats (fried Twinkies, meatballs, etc.), Pig Races, the State Fair Corny Dog Eating Contest and this year’s Marilyn Monroe: Exploited, Explored, Explained collection exhibit.
McKoy is enthusiastic about the future of the State Fair of Texas, especially if the Dallas bond program passes. Livestock areas would be restored and the Cotton Bowl Stadium transformed into a state-of-the-art football venue (see article on Cotton Bowl improvements). The Midway would be renovated with $20 million in new rides over the next four years, including a unique high-speed water ride (incidentally, McKoy holds several patents on amusement park rides he invented). A mini theme park called Summer Place would open in 2009 and by 2010, McKoy believes Fair Park will be re-established as a World’s Fair-class site.
This year’s State Fair theme, “Big Tex and the City,” has been great fun for Errol McKoy and company to conceive. And he’s already hard at work on the 2007 extravaganza. You can be sure that it will be just as innovative. “The best years for the State Fair of Texas lie ahead,” he predicts. “And I’m privileged to have been along for the ride thus far.”
For all the info on the 2006 State Fair of Texas, visit www.bigtex.com.
