High Profile 'Birthday Boy' To Be Honored Friday At The State Fair Of Texas
FOR RELEASE: September 26, 2002High Profile 'Birthday Boy' To Be Honored Friday At The State Fair Of Texas
Official Vehicle Of The Fair Delivers Special 50th Anniversary Present
DALLAS - Move over, Your Majesty! True, this is a Golden Jubilee Year for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, but it's also the 50th birthday of Big Tex, official ambassador and beloved symbol of the State Fair of Texas in Dallas.
The 52 ft. talking cowboy (who has a steel-structure body, a fiberglass head and wears the latest in western wear) will be the center of attention this Friday -- opening day of the 2002 State Fair of Texas -- at 5 p.m. A party is planned that includes the presentation of an AARP card, a spectacular six-foot-tall birthday cake, "Happy Birthday" played by the USMC Drum & Bugle Corps from Washington, D.C., and the ultimate in birthday gifts for a baby boomer turning 50 -- a bright red, 50th anniversary edition Corvette, mounted on a nearby platform and topped with a giant bow.
As Big Tex celebrates 50 years reigning over the State Fair, Chevrolet marks five colorful decades of the Chevrolet Corvette, a precise blend of power, performance, style and comfort. The 50th Anniversary Edition of the Corvette, available only during the 2003 model year, is a tribute to a half-century of automotive leadership and Big Tex's birthday present will be featured among Chevrolet's fair displays. Chevrolet is the official vehicle of the State Fair, the title sponsor of the Chevrolet Main Stage and with the Fair, is presenting the Big Tex Music Festival to close out the Fair in style in October.
Tom Thumb Food & Pharmacy is providing birthday cake for the crowd that will gather at Big Tex Circle to participate in the festivities.
Big Tex made his first appearance at the State Fair of Texas in 1952. His job as host of the largest state fair in the country consists of standing tall at the crossroads of the Fair and booming out hearty, "Howdy, Folks!" while making announcements of show times and schedule changes.
Of course, a fifty-year-old icon needs respectable attire for such an auspicious occasion. Fort Worth's Williamson-Dickie has provided Big Tex with a proper set of new duds: A red, white and blue cowboy shirt, denim jeans, a touch of understated flair in a red bandana with silver tips and a shiny, 29" x 45" oval belt buckle emblazoned with the familiar Dickies horseshoe logo. Boot Town and Ariat will furnish his sensational new cowboy boots.
Big Tex made a big (but silent), splash when he first appeared back in 1952. He "found his voice" and began greeting fairgoers in 1953, added a friendly wave in 1997 and, in 2000, was provided with armature that allowed him to turn his head. He may talk a little s-l-o-o-w, but, without question, he's one of the most famous Texans anywhere.
Big Tex was installed in his usual spot -- Big Tex Circle -- on Monday, Sept. 23. The Fair opens on Sept. 27 and runs for 24 days through Oct. 20. The Texas State Fair is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. For public and ticket information for the 2002 Texas State Fair, please visit www.bigtex.com or call 214-565-9931. For more details about Chevrolet, visit www.chevrolet.com.