Not even a pandemic can keep us from Big Tex (don't worry: he'll be wearing a Texas-sized mask!).
The 24-day State Fair of Texas was canceled for the first time since World War II, but Texans can still get their state fairground fix with the first-ever State Fair Drive-Thru experience.
State fair officials recently announced plans to open the state fair starting Sept. 19–20 to select attendees who purchase a limited number of tickets. That golden ticket gets you access to the state fairgrounds in Dallas for a special photo op with the one and only Big Tex, the official greeter of the State Fair. At 55 feet tall, he’s known as the “world’s tallest cowboy.”
“We still wanted to find a way not only to continue to fulfill our nonprofit mission but to keep the State Fair spirit alive,” Karissa Condoianis, senior vice president of public relations for the State Fair of Texas, told the Dallas Morning News.
In total, 50,000 vehicles will be allowed to enter the weekend-only pandemic-fueled event. Rest assured, Big Tex will be wearing his protective face covering—although no word yet on how big his mask will be.
Of course, I asked the dimensions of Big Tex’s mask, but that info wasn’t available yet.
— Sarah Blaskovich (@sblaskovich) August 27, 2020
I just have to know: Is a mask on Big Tex the size of, like, a blanket? https://t.co/4WKafoyZhR
The kickoff event Sept. 19-20 is only for photo ops with the iconic cowboy. But Big Tex will stick around in subsequent weekends as the revamped state fair continues with the State Fair Food Drive-Thru experience. Customers can pick from two different food packages that allow add-on items such as turkey legs, corn cobs, and, yes, Fletcher’s Corny Dogs to ensure the full fair experience.
Here is a breakdown of both packages:
Package A
(Feeds 1-2 people; $65)
- Admission for one vehicle of up to 8 people
- Photo with Big Tex
- Two drinks/waters
- Two Fletcher’s Corny Dogs
- One Jack’s French Fries
- One Stiffler’s Fried Oreos
- One cotton candy bag
- One kettle corn bag
- One Midway Prize
Package B
(Feeds 3-4 people; $99)
- Admission for one vehicle of up to 8 people
- Photo with Big Tex
- Four drinks/waters
- Four Fletcher’s Corny Dogs
- Two Jack’s French Fries
- Two Stiffler’s Fried Oreos
- Two cotton candy bags
- Two kettle corn bags
- Two Midway Prizes
Big Tex Photo Package
(Sept. 19-20 only; $25)
- Admission for one vehicle of up to 8 people
- Photo with Big Tex
Want to book a visit to the state fairgrounds? Dates are limited to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the following weekends through mid-October:
- Sept. 25-27
- Oct. 2-4
- Oct. 9-12 (excluding Oct. 10)
- Oct. 15-18
Tickets go on sale Sept. 2 for all three packages. What package do you plan to pick? Let us know in the comments!
