2026 State Fair of Texas Guests Donate over 145,000 Pounds of Food to NTFB

Peanut butter and canned food given as part of ‘Feed the Need’ drive supports North Texans facing hunger.

Guests at the State Fair of Texas donated 145,448 pounds of peanut butter and canned goods to North Texas Food Bank this year.

The State Fair of Texas’ annual “Feed the Need” food drive kicked off on Opening Day, September 26, when guests were invited to bring to jars of peanut butter in exchange for a $10 admission voucher. It continued each Wednesday of the Fair as guests donated five canned food items to receive a $7 admission voucher.

Since the partnership with the Fair began in 1995, the food drive has generated nearly 5 million pounds of food for North Texans facing hunger.

The support comes at a time when the needs in Dallas-Fort Worth are great. The metroplex now ranks third in the nation—behind only New York and L.A.—for the number of people who are food insecure, with 1.3 million not always knowing where their next meal will come from.

“The ‘Feed the Need’ drive is our largest canned food event, and we are grateful to the State Fair of Texas and the community for their support,” said NTFB President and CEO Trisha Cunningham. “With 1 in 6 North Texans facing hunger, this event is crucial for ensuring families, children and older adults in our community have access to food.”

NTFB volunteers are on-site at the Fair to collect donations. This year, seven NTFB partner agencies also volunteered to manage entrance gates. That meant that more than 68,000 pounds of the food collected was taken directly to a partner pantry for distribution to neighbors.

“We’re incredibly grateful for their partnership,” said Cassie Collins, Director of Community Engagement.

The remaining 77,000 pounds of donated food was picked up by NTFB’s Transportation Team and taken back to the Perot Family Campus. There, it is sorted by volunteers and made available to partner agencies to order for distribution to their neighbors.