See pictures from Panhandle-South Plains Fair preview night in Lubbock - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

The fair runs Sept. 25 through Oct. 3, giving Lubbock more than a week of rides, food and games. Preview Night gave folks a first look, and photos from the evening show the usual mix that makes the fair a fall staple here, kids on the Merry-Go-Round, bubbles floating near the Global GloyToys booth, and fried food stands doing steady business.

One photo caught two-year-old Texas Tech Garza riding the Merry-Go-Round with his father, Daniel Garza. Another showed three-year-old Oaklee Hernandez chasing bubbles near the toy booth. Small moments like these are what Preview Night is built for, a low-key start before the crowds show up for the full run.

For Lubbock families, the fair means one of the few times a year everyone ends up in the same place, whether that's grandparents watching grandkids on rides or teenagers meeting up for funnel cake.

That moment, a toddler named after Texas Tech riding the Merry-Go-Round, says something about how deep the Red Raider loyalty runs in this town, even before kindergarten.