The State Fair of Texas kicks off on Sept. 26, 2025, but a pair of Big Tex’s boots are more than 1,000 miles away from Dallas’ Fair Park in Washington, D.C.
Two of the larger-than-life mascot’s size 96 shoes are currently on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery as part of an exhibition highlighting the relationship between craft artists and fairgrounds.
Big Tex’s boots flank a doorway to the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Albert Ting / Smithsonian American Art Museum
Big Tex’s boots are being showcased alongside other iconic state fair paraphernalia, including a life-size butter cow created on-site by the Iowa State Fair’s official butter sculptor Sarah Pratt and a display featuring a pyramid of more than 700 glass jars of preserved fruits and vegetables by canning master Rod Zeitler.
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The galleries within the exhibition are packed with personal stories, too, from craft found in art exhibits, heritage villages, parades, dairy barns and rodeos from fairgrounds across the U.S.
The pair of boots on loan to the Renwick Gallery feature emblems of Texas, such as the state flag, state bird, state capitol building, state flower and head of a longhorn steer, among other details. Also painted on the pair, which soar 12 feet high, are Texas bootmaker Lucchese’s recognizable 1883 founding year and logo.
Big Tex won’t be shoeless at this year’s State Fair of Texas. The 55-foot-tall cowboy, who was recently erected for the 2025 season, has multiple pairs of boots.
“State Fairs: Growing American Craft” opened on Aug. 22, 2025, and is on display through Sept. 7, 2026. The Renwick Gallery is at 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #1, Washington, D.C. Admission is free.