Big Tex is seen in this 1975 file photo. Advertisement The first Big Tex reigned until 2012, when an electrical fire caused him to burn (and become a punk art icon .) ...

Big Tex is 55 feet tall and has been greeting fairgoers for 72 years. "It's wild to think we've made it through our 24 day run," says the State Fair of Texas' Karissa Condoianis.

Before Big Tex makes his triumphant return, we’re going to offer a daily online look at All Things Big Tex each day until next Friday. In today's edition of Big Tex 101, we offer you an up-close ...

DALLAS — Big Tex, the metal cowboy whose slow drawl of “Howdy, folks!” made him an icon of the State Fair of Texas for 60 years, was destroyed Friday when flames engulfed his 52-foot-tall ...

Big Tex is warm and welcoming, the perfect gentleman and guide to everything the fair has to offer. He reigned over the State Fair from 1952 to 2012 and his slicker cousin took his place in 2013 ...

Last year, iconic Texas State Fair greeter/statue Big Tex celebrated his sixtieth birthday by, um, burning to the ground. This year, of course, he’s been rebuilt—bigger and Tex-er than ever ...

Big Tex's 75-gallon hat, 50-pound belt buckle and slow drawl have been greeting state fair visitors with "Howdy folks!" since 1952. This year's fair, which closes Sunday, ...

Big Tex, the beloved but odd State Fair of Texas icon, has been named the country’s quirkiest landmark. After four weeks of online voting, the larger-than-life cowboy earned the most votes in ...

On Oct. 19, 2012, at approximately 10:30 a.m., smoke began billowing from the shirt collar of Big Tex, the State Fair of Texas' larger-than-life mascot. Within minutes, flames engulfed his 52-foot ...

In 1997, Big Tex was 45 and no longer the spring chicken he once was. The State Fair rebuilt his body with 42-hundred feet of steel rods fashioned into a cage-like frame. A lanky 6,000 pounds ...

Steal his look: All the brands Big Tex sports in his iconic State Fair outfit The beloved State Fair mascot loves a retro cowboy aesthetic. By Andrea Guzmán , Texas Brands Reporter Updated Sep 26 ...

So Big Tex does a lot," Fitzgerald said of the now 70-year-old icon. But some people, including someone at my house, are sometimes scared by the big Texan with the booming baritone voice.