The State Fair of Texas might be over this year, but now is the time for creatives to help design Big Tex’s pair of boots for next year.
The Big Tex Boot Design Contest begins Oct. 22 and runs through Jan. 31, 2026. The winning design will be announced on March 2, 2026.
The boot design contest launched in 2019 to honor that year’s theme – “Celebrating Texas Creativity.” A Keller artist won, highlighting Texas bluebonnets, the Alamo, armadillos and the Texas flag.
The last time Big Tex got a new pair of shoes was in 2023, when Irving resident Jessica Bonilla’s design won the contest.
Big Tex’s boots designed by Jessica Bonilla of Irving.
State Fair of Texas
As the winner, Bonilla worked with fair officials and Lucchese to put finishing touches on her design before it came to life on Big Tex’s iconic size 96 boots.
Artists are asked to draw, paint or illustrate their designs on templates provided by the fair online and to submit them with an entry form.
Big Tex’s boots on display
This summer, another pair of Big Tex’s boots traveled to Washington, D.C. and was put on display at the Smithsonian Institution as part of a new exhibit.
For the first time, this specific pair of boots left the Lone Star State to join “State Fairs: Growing American Craft,” a year-long exhibition celebrating the rich cultural traditions of state fairs across the country.
Now through Sept. 7, 2026, the exhibit showcases iconic pieces of Americana, from Iowa’s life-sized butter cow to a pyramid of 700 glass jars filled with preserved fruit. Â