The 2026 State Fair of Texas’ commemorative theme art is “Stars, Stripes, and Howdies!”
Theme Inspiration: Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday
Deeply woven into the fabric of America’s history for over a century, state fairs have been trusted places where Americans from all walks of life can come together and celebrate their state’s history, culture, and future. As a member of this time-honored tradition, the State Fair of Texas is proud and honored to be one of the oldest and largest exhibitions in the country. This year, as the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, and as the State Fair of Texas celebrates its 140th birthday, the State Fair felt it was only fitting to pay homage to that monumental accomplishment by incorporating national pride into our annual commemorative art.
CELEBRATING THROUGH BIG TEX
Our commemorative art, which is celebrated throughout the season leading into our yearly event in the fall, focuses on various Fair elements from year to year. Big Tex, our friendly 55-foot, talking cowboy, is always a focal point in the design, but this year, we wanted to take an extra step and showcase our national pride through our beloved mascot in a fun, patriotic fashion. Big Tex embodies all Texans, and while Texans have a genuine pride in calling the Lone Star State “home,” we are also proud Americans who honor our country’s 250th milestone.
AN ADMIRATION FOR ADVERTS
The State Fair of Texas has a long history of producing advertising posters for various aspects of the annual exhibition. From attractions to music to livestock shows, our admiration for vintage poster designs led us to explore a wood–block style of poster printing as inspiration for our 2026 commemorative art. Graphic designer and illustrator Tony Caranza at The Matchbox Studio, a design agency in Deep Ellum, shared our vision of leaning into the idea of a “throwback” poster design. Inspired by his own love of vintage posters, Tony designed rough sketches that kept Big Tex as a central figure.
ICONIC STANCES AND “HOWDIES”
Tony’s initial sketches took several forms, and through the process, our creative team came back to the idea that Big Tex is known and beloved for his iconic and welcoming larger-than-life stance. The team also went through several iterations of a title for the art, as we believed the title should both pay homage to the America 250 celebration and familiarities to those who love and cherish the tradition of the State Fair of Texas. Going back to the base of the design, we didn’t need to look any further than Big Tex’s signature greeting: “Howdy, Folks!”
RED, WHITE, AND BLUE
Several color configurations and graphical elements were created and tested as the team inched closer to the final art design. Ultimately, it was determined that the predominant colors of the piece had to be red, white, and blue – just like the American AND Texan flag! Graphical elements that point to both the State Fair of Texas and a sense of nostalgic Americana are incorporated, including a specific call out to the country’s 250th birthday on none other than a coveted State Fair of Texas Creative Arts ribbon!
The 2026 Commemorative Art
the next 250 years of state fairs, starting with this year’s celebration of “Stars, Stripes, and Howdies!”
READY TO GET YOUR THEME MERCH? CLICK BELOW!
