The best value you get at the Fair for a dollar -- in my opinion -- is in a big trailer southwest of Dorton Arena. It's the Bear Country trailer, traveling home of five bears, and a buck gets you in for a visit.
The trailer is divided into two partitions. The first area is the home of a couple of sisters, while the second holds three kids and their toys (branches for claw-sharpening, tire swing, etc.) The trailer is climate controlled for the bears and a cool respite during the hot days. While you're looking at the bears you'll hear a recorded lecture on conservation efforts for bear species and what you can do to help.
What you'll see in the Bear Country trailer depends on when you're there. If you get their early in the day or later in the afternoon and evening -- in other words, when it's cooler -- you'll see at least the kids rollicking around, play fighting, leaning on the swing, and so on. Sometimes the adults are play-fighting, and when they slam into the observation windows the whole trailer shakes!
But even when you get there in the middle of the day and the bears are lazily rolling around or taking naps, they're still way adorable and well worth a dollar.
