Now that the State Fair of Texas has ended its 2024 run, a crane lowered Big Tex from his spot in Fair Park. Some families came to watch Big Tex as he was moved Wednesday morning.
"Seeing him go down is kind of surreal," one woman said.
"You get so used to him standing up and standing here," her son said. "Just to see the end of it is kind of crazy."
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.
The State Fair of Texas says attendance this year was 2.4 million, about 100,000 more than 2023. The Fair says we ate 60,000 taquitos and 550,000 Fletcher's Corny Dogs topped with 1,800 gallons of mustard and 850 gallons of ketchup.
Isaac Rousso sold 100,000 pieces of Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick, the winner of this year's Big Tex Choice Award for Best Taste-Sweet.
The family watching Big Tex says an attraction for them is option to try new foods and tour different activities.
"It's very interesting stuff," the mom says. "It was perfect, no rain, and it wasn't too cold. It was a little warm, but it was very, very nice. It was really cool seeing everybody come out to have a good time."
Condoianis says people donated 180,000 canned food items, and the fair gave out 1.88 million free admission tickets to students and 300,000 vouchers to teachers. She says Big Tex Urban Farms has donated 26,360 pounds of fresh produce to the North Texas Food Bank since 2016.
"It's just amazing to see the community come together and be able to celebrate, have a good time and leave all the noise of the outside world at the gate," she says.
With Big Tex leaving Big Tex Circle, Condoianis says the fair now starts planning for 2025.
"Everybody's experience is different out here," she says. "That's why it's so important for us to find that balance of tradition and innovation, bringing new things to the fair, to ensure we are always keeping it fresh but maintaining those traditions that mean so much to so many people."
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