Day Trips

Big Tex, the world's tallest talking cowboy, works three weeks a year. The 52-foot-tall official greeter for the State Fair of Texas in Dallas has donned his 75-gallon cowboy hat and size-70 family footwear since 1952.

Tex was born in Kerens, Texas, in 1949 where he was the world's tallest Santa Claus. The State Fair purchased his services for $750 and gave him a makeover in 1952. 

The fair dates back to 1886 when a group of businessmen started the annual event to showcase farming implements. The city of Dallas took over the enterprise in 1904, the same year the auto show was added. The Texas vs. OU game in the Cotton Bowl became a football classic when it was introduced in 1929. The 212-foot Ferris wheel, the tallest in North America, wasn't added until 1985.

Food has always been a major attraction at the 277-acre Fair Park. Since the corn dog was introduced in 1938, food vendors have been trying to out-fry one another with concoctions like deep-fried Oreo cookies and deep-fried beer.

The Texas State Fair runs Sept. 30 through Oct. 23. Dallas Area Rapid Transit has a train station right at the park's front door. For information, go to www.bigtex.com. Go to www.dallas.about.com for a list of ticket discounts. Best advice is to go on a weekday and avoid weekends.

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1,055th in a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of "Day Trips," is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.