Howdy, Texas! 🤠
Standing 55 feet tall above Fair Park in Dallas, Big Tex has been the undisputed king of the Texas State Fair since 1952. With his booming voice, signature Dickies outfit, and outstretched arms welcoming millions of visitors each autumn, he's more than a mascot — he's a symbol of Texas pride worn large.
From Santa Claus to Lone Star Icon
Big Tex didn't start as a cowboy. He began life in 1949 as a giant Santa Claus in Kerens, Texas, built to attract holiday shoppers to the small Navarro County town. When the State Fair of Texas acquired him in 1951, they transformed Santa into the Lone Star cowboy we know today — complete with a 75-gallon hat and size-70 boots.
His voice came later. In 1953, Big Tex started greeting fairgoers with his now-legendary "Howdy, folks!" — a booming welcome that became as much a part of the fair as funnel cakes and Fletcher's Corny Dogs. 🎡
Versions, Updates, and Evolution
Over the decades, Big Tex underwent numerous makeovers. His face was redesigned for a friendlier look, his wardrobe was updated with Dickies-branded western wear, and his mechanical systems were upgraded to keep pace with modern technology. The version captured in Carol M. Highsmith's photograph — now part of the Library of Congress's Lyda Hill Texas Collection — stood as one of his most recognizable forms, greeting generations of Texans before 2012.
The Fire of 2012 🔥
On October 19, 2012, the unthinkable happened. An electrical fire broke out in Big Tex's right boot, quickly consuming the beloved 52-foot icon. Within minutes, the giant was reduced to a smoldering steel frame as thousands of fairgoers watched in disbelief. The images spread instantly across social media, and Texans mourned as if they'd lost a neighbor.
Fair officials and fans weren't ready to say goodbye, though. Plans for a rebuild began almost immediately.
The Comeback
Big Tex returned for the 2013 State Fair, rebuilt from the ground up with modern materials and updated electronics — but the same indomitable Texas spirit. His new frame stands even taller at 55 feet, his hat just as wide, and his "Howdy, folks!" just as warm. The rebuild cost approximately $500,000, funded largely by donations from Texans who couldn't imagine a fair without their giant cowboy.
The State Fair of Texas runs each fall in Dallas's historic Fair Park, one of the largest collections of 1930s Art Deco architecture in the United States. Big Tex presides over it all, a permanent reminder that in Texas, legends don't burn — they rebuild. ⭐
Photo credit: The Lyda Hill Texas Collection of Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith's America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
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