Meet the State Fair of Texas' longest-running food vendor family

As thousands of people head to the opening of the 2024 State Fair of Texas, one family has been going for decades and serving fairgoers for 75 years.

“Funnel cake. Turkey Leg. Hot dog and corn dog," said Juan and Yanira Salas, first-time fairgoers listing off their eats so far for the day.

The Salases, who regret not visiting the fair sooner, already plan to return.

“I want to get some Twinkies," Juan said.

The food keeps even Tim Orten coming back for roughly his 40th year.

“We’ve had fried Frito pie, now two things of potatoes—fried potatoes, and I’m fixing to go get me a fried peanut butter and jelly," Orten said.

That appetite is what the Nevins family lives for. A spokesperson for the State Fair of Texas told NBC 5 that the Nevins family is the longest-running food vendor family at the fair.

“Nevins concessions was born in 1949, my great grandfather came out here and he started with two concession stands," said Josey Nevins Mayes.

Mayes' grandfather built up the business to 30 stands. When the State Fair set a cap of 10 stands per business, her grandfather and his brother split the cost.

Her uncle now owns nine cotton candy stands, and Nevins Concessions owns nine food stands.

Mayes' mom took the reigns in the 1980s, bringing Mayes to the fairgrounds even when she was in the womb.

“Growing up as a little girl, to watch her mom be a really baller boss-woman, but also be such a beautiful woman, that means a lot to a little girl, and I always knew I wanted to be just like her," Mayes said.

She grew up walking the grounds with her grandpa, fixing fryers, and wiping down tables.

So, when her mom told her she needed to go to college before thinking about co-owning, that's what she did.

"Not to sound cheesy, it is in my blood. I don’t know anything else. I grew up coming out here," Mayes said.

When she graduated in 2022, she bought 25% of the family business and created a Big Tex Choice Awards winner: the fried charcuterie board.

“So, I think I did pretty well first year as a partner," she said.

This year, another finalist: The Nutty Bar-Laska.

It takes one of their classics, a chocolate-dipped Nutty Bar rolled in peanuts, and adds a twist: Torched marshmallow fluff, two Oreos, strawberry drizzle, and a sprinkle of freeze-dried strawberries.

“I pay attention to the trends. I pay attention to what’s popular," said Mayes, who brings a fresh perspective to the family business while remaining committed to 75-year-old traditions.

“I think [my grandpa] would be proud of the changes that we’ve made, and I think he would jump over the coliseum if he knew the numbers we were running today," Mayes said.

But she's constantly looking for ways to improve; sometimes, she said she and her mom stand in the crowd of customers to see what their honest reactions are to their family's food.

“I want everything perfect, I want everything done right. I want every single customer that comes to my stand, I want them to leave with a smile. This is truly my heart and soul out here, I mean, when your name’s on it, it means a lot to you," Mayes said.

"After 75 years, we want to be better at 76," she added.

The new mom hopes Nevins Concessions still has more generations to go, yet.

“Of course, I hope my son will be out here with me one day. He’s fifth generation. What a beautiful legacy to carry on," Mayes said.

Her grandpa never got to see Mayes become part owner of his business; he died in 2017.

“I was my grandpa’s shadow. And all I want is for him to be proud of me, so I hope he’s looking down smiling," Mayes said with tears in her eyes.

And although the food is what her family has lived for, Mayes finds a purpose now, too.

“I hope my grandpa is smiling. That’s all I can hope for," she said.