Big Tex is the 55-foot cowboy who greets everyone at the State Fair of Texas. He wasn't always a cowboy. In 1949, tiny Kerens, Texas, built a 49-foot Santa Claus to save its Christmas shopping season. Dallas bought him in 1951 and turned him into a cowboy. He debuted in 1952 wearing size-70 boots and a 75-gallon hat. He's greeted fairgoers with "Howdy, folks!" since 1953.
Big Tex Started Out as a Giant Santa Claus
Millions of people know Big Tex, the 55-foot cowboy who booms "Howdy, folks!" over the State Fair of Texas every fall. Almost none of them know he was born a Santa Claus.
A Small Town's Christmas Gamble
In 1949, Kerens, Texas, was a town of about 1,500 people looking for a way to keep shoppers from driving off to bigger cities for the holidays.
Howell Brister, who ran the local Chamber of Commerce, had an idea. Build the World's Largest Santa Claus and put him where everyone could see him.
Volunteers welded a frame out of iron-pipe oil-field drill casing. They built the body from papier-mache and unraveled rope by hand to make a seven-foot beard.
The finished Santa stood 49 feet tall. He drew crowds for two holiday seasons before Kerens decided to sell him.
Dallas Buys a Santa and Makes Him a Cowboy
State Fair of Texas president R.L. Thornton bought the Kerens Santa and had him hauled to Dallas.
Dallas artist Jack Bridges reworked the figure completely. He slimmed the face and torso, gave him a wink, and moved his right hand to his chest in a thumb-in-vest pose.
The H.D. Lee Company donated denim jeans and a plaid shirt. A cowboy hat replaced the Santa cap.
Big Tex debuted at the fair in 1952, standing 52 feet tall in size-70 boots and a 75-gallon hat.
He Found His Voice in 1953
The fair wired Big Tex with a custom recipromotor and a 75-watt speaker system during renovations in the mid-1950s.
He said his first "Howdy, folks!" in 1953, and the line has opened every fair season since.
For decades, Big Tex stood on the same spot near the Fair Park roundabout, greeting families as they walked in.
Rebuilt Bigger After a Fire
On October 19, 2012, an electrical fire broke out in a panel under Big Tex's right boot during that year's fair. The fire is believed to have started in the compressor that kept his clothing inflated.
Flames consumed his clothing, face, and hat in minutes while onlookers watched. Only the steel skeleton survived.
The State Fair spent about $500,000 building a new Big Tex, unveiled in 2013 at his current height of 55 feet.
He kept saying "Howdy, folks!" the very next season, and he still says it today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Big Tex originally a Santa Claus?
How tall is Big Tex?
When did Big Tex first speak?
Who built the original Big Tex?
What happened to Big Tex in the 2012 fire?
Verified Fact
Verified Aug 23, 2026 · 2 sources checked
Source: State Fair of Texas (Big Tex official history)Show verification details
Claims checked
- Big Tex began as a 49-foot Santa built in Kerens, Texas, in 1949
- Dallas bought the Santa in 1951 and converted him into a cowboy who debuted in 1952
- Debut height corrected to 52 feet (not 55), with size-70 boots and a 75-gallon hat
- "Howdy, folks!" started in 1953
- Rebuilt after a 2012 fire, now 55 feet tall
Sources: State Fair of Texas, Wikipedia