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Sept 22, 2017

TABC Helping to Prepare Vendors at State Fair of Texas

ARLINGTON – When the 131st State Fair of Texas kicks off September 29, representatives from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission will be on hand to ensure safety and smooth operations at the more than two dozen TABC-licensed vendors operating within historic Fair Park.

TABC officials met with a number of State Fair vendors in August to discuss the licensing and safety requirements needed in order to sell alcoholic beverages during the fair, which runs from September 29 – October 22. In all, TABC expects to issue more than 600 temporary permits allowing vendors to sell alcoholic beverages to legal-aged fairgoers.

"We understand that fair vendors have a lot of preparations to make before the opening day, so our goal is to make the temporary permit application process as easy as possible," said Tana Travis, TABC licensing supervisor for the Arlington region. "During our meeting, we went through the application process step-by-step, and informed the vendors about a retailer's responsibilities concerning alcohol purchases and sales to consumers."

Among those responsibilities is ensuring vendors and their employees keep customer safety in mind when selling and serving alcoholic beverages, Travis said. During the fair, TABC Enforcement agents will visit vendors – both covertly and openly – to ensure compliance with the state's alcohol statutes.

"Vendors at the State Fair have had great success in preventing the sale of alcohol to minors in the past," Travis said. "We want to continue to ensure that each vendor selling alcohol has all the resources they need to keep their business, their employees and their customers safe."

TABC agents will conduct a number of additional operations in conjunction with the fair, including minor stings and undercover operations intended to identify minors using fake IDs to purchase alcohol, Travis added.

The State Fair of Texas is expected to attract nearly 3 million visitors during its month-long run, which features rides, games, music, and world-renowned cuisine. For more information about the fair, visit www.bigtex.com.

Contact: Chris Porter TABC Public Information Officer (512) 206-3462