Big Tex Goes to Washington

In just one month, we’ll be just one month from the State Fair of Texas. Almost two and a half million people went to last year’s fair, making it the biggest in the country, and at 24 days, it’s also the longest running.

Loyal Scaiaholics will recall this is the biggest event of the year for a lot of the vendors. Some use other state fairs to tune up for this one, but even with 2.5 million people coming through, we still have others who need to be introduced to Texas. This week, the state fair is doing its part.

Some folks from the Smithsonian visited back in 2023. They’ve been asking for a pair of Big Tex’ boots since then for an exhibit that opens next month. The State Fair of Texas’ Jason Hayes said, “Hey, listen, Smithsonian, if that’s what you’re into, we don’t judge.”

Monday, I got a press release from the fair saying Big Tex’ boots would be leaving the state for only the second time in history. Concerned, I emailed the fair asking if they were planning any kind of media thing for the boots’ departure and also wondering, since the exhibit starts at the same time as the fair, what Big Tex was going to wear this year.

She assured me, since Big Tex got new boots back in 2018, they were sending his previous pair.

State Fair employees got a chance to sign the tarp that covers the boots before the truck left. “From Texas with love,” “Stay Texy,” and “DC or bust” were among the messages they left. Some explained, since the truck will spend a few days on the road before arriving at the Smithsonian Friday, this was a chance to introduce people across the country to Texas.

They wanted a clear message for folks who might be following the truck on the highway and wondering why, specifically, a pair of size-96 boots was being hauled to Washington. I was thinking the message should be boots that size could kick Congress in its collective rump.

“Big Tex could display bipartisan exhaustion!” I posited.

But they went with a more subtle essence. She asked if she should write “DC” or “Washington.” The consensus was “Big Tex goes to Washington,” like the movie.

The exhibit runs a full year, then Big Tex gets his boots back. Hayes says Big Tex represents everything good about Texans, so having his boots [which had to be approved by the Secret Service] across the street from the White House can introduce Washington and visitors from other countries to the most Texan place on Earth.