Big Tex, fitted with new wardrobe, going up in Fair Park ahead of the State Fair of Texas

Big Tex, the iconic mascot of the State Fair of Texas, is returning to his rightful place in Fair Park this Friday ahead of the fair's opening day next week.

The 55-foot-tall cowboy is sporting a new outfit for the 2026 edition of the fair. After being dressed by Dickies for nearly three decades, Cavender's Boot City western wear store has designed Big Tex's shirt. The western wear brand Resistol created his the 95-gallon cowboy hat.

Big Tex is also sporting new Lucchese boots this year, designed by 31-year-old Aaliyah McNeal, who won the Big Tex Boot Design Contest earlier this year. The design incorporates Texas icons like longhorns, bluebonnets and pecan trees.

The 2026 State Fair of Texas, themed "Stars, Stripes, and Howdies," runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 18.