Texas Star  Texas Star is a Ferris wheel at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, where it operates during the annual State Fair of Texas and is the most popular ride. It has an overall height of and was the tallest Ferris wheel in North America from 1985 until the opening of the Star of Puebla, Mexico, on 22 July 2013. It can carry up to 264 passengers in its 44 gondolas. The view is one of the things that entice people to ride on it. Built by SDC Corp. in Reggio Emilia, Italy, at a cost of $2.2 million, it was shipped to Dallas for its debut at the 1985 State Fair of Texas. It is owned by Barbara Brown and her brother Mike Sandefur. From 1985 to 2007 it was illuminated at night by 16,000 incandescent red, white, and blue turbolites. In 2008, the incandescent system was replaced with a longer-lasting, more energy-efficient LED system.