Big Tex gets installed for the 2024 State Fair of Texas

DALLAS – An iconic State Fair of Texas symbol went up on Friday.

A week before the State Fair of Texas kicks off, Big Tex was taken out of storage and installed at his home on Big Tex Circle in Fair Park.

The 55-foot-tall talking cowboy will welcome Texans back to the fair with his freshly polished boots, pressed shirt and starched jeans.

Fairgoers can see Big Tex at the State Fair of Texas from Sept. 27 through Oct. 20.

History of Big Tex

Back at the State Fair of Texas for the 72nd year, Big Tex was originally built in 1949 for a Christmas Celebration in Kerens, Texas, about an hour southeast of Fair Park.

After being Santa Claus for two years, the Kerens Chamber of Commerce sold the figure to the fair for $750.

It wasn't until 1953 that Big Tex found his voice, and he's been greeting fairgoers ever since.