Big Tex’s rich history continues on

By Taylor Pulfer

Big Tex is making his grand return for his 73rd year, taking his familiar place at Big Tex Circle for the annual exposition. Standing tall at 55 feet, the legendary talking cowboy is ready to greet guests at the 2025 State Fair of Texas with his signature and charming “Howdy, Folks!” His boots are polished, his shirt is ironed and his jeans are perfectly starched as he prepares to stand tall. The custom boots he’s sporting come from Lucchese Bootmaker, designed by Jessica Bonilla, winner of the 2023 Big Tex Boot Design Contest. His shirt and jeans are courtesy of Dickies, and his eye-catching belt buckle, complete with detailed embellishments, was provided by our friends at Shiner!

 This Friday, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m. — exactly one week from the Opening Day of the 2025 State Fair of Texas — Big Tex will be installed. Big Tex Circle is at Grand Avenue and Lone Star Boulevard in Fair Park. 

Big Tex’s skeletal structure was originally built in 1949 for a Christmas celebration in Kerens, Texas. After two years in the spotlight as the world’s tallest Santa Claus, the Kerens Chamber of Commerce sold the figure to the State Fair of Texas for $750. The State Fair president at the time envisioned a Texas-sized cowboy as a symbol of the annual exposition. Dallas artist Jack Bridges was brought on board to perform the extreme makeover — transforming Santa into Big Tex. The icon’s 1952 State Fair debut was a hit. Speechless that first year, a little engineering helped Big Tex “find” his voice in 1953, and he’s been talking ever since. His friendly wave was added in 1997; three years later, he began to turn his head. Tex may talk a little slow, but without question, he is one of the most famous Texans on earth. He is certainly the tallest. Many baby boomers acknowledge their 50th birthdays, and Tex was no exception. A festive party was thrown in 2002, complete with a giant birthday cake and an AARP card. On October 19, 2012, Big Tex was destroyed by an electrical fire, the same year he celebrated his 60th birthday.

 Big Tex returned to the State Fair in grand fashion with a Texas-sized welcome back celebration held on September 27, 2013. Following the cancellation of the 2020 State Fair of Texas due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Big Tex did what he does best – he showed up for work, greeting folks to the Big Tex Fair Food Drive-Thru with a face mask to stand in solidarity with his community. Then in 2022, Big Tex celebrated his 70th birthday on October 4, 2022, with a Texas-sized party at the Most Texan Place on Earth, with a celebratory birthday cake, a float toast, a birthday sing-along and discounted midway rides. Big Tex continues to impress visitors each year, and 2023 was no different. His iconic stance in Big Tex Circle was enhanced with vibrant, brightly colored landscaping. Big Tex’s Belt buckle also got an upgrade, with new embellishments courtesy of Shiner adding an extra touch of Texas pride to his look.

  Featured