Big Tex goes up, State Fair opens in Dallas

Associated Press In this photo released by the Dallas Museum of Art, the jackal-headed god Anubis, 25 feet and weighing 5 tons, is erected Monday on the midway at the State Fair of Texas next to Big Tex in Dallas. The Dallas Museum of Art is making final preparations for the Oct. 3 premiere of ìTutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, an extensive collection of more than 130 treasures from the tomb of King Tut and other Valley of the Kings tombs. Anubis is believed to be the guide and protector of the dead in ancient Egypt.

DALLAS—The tallest dude at the State Fair of Texas is ready to greet visitors when the expo opens Friday in Dallas.

Workers on Monday erected 52-foot-tall Big Tex.

The towering western-wear adorned icon is expected to be a favorite again at the State Fair, which runs through Oct. 19.

Big Tex has a cage-like skeleton with 4,200 feet of steel rods. His fully dressed weight tops 3 tons, featuring a bright yellow shirt and blue denim jeans.

The fair will include the Nerveless Nocks Daredevil Stunt Show, with performers using 80-foot sway poles, known as “spars.”

Saturday football games at the Cotton Bowl include Grambling vs. Prairie View on Oct. 4, and Texas vs. Oklahoma on Oct. 11. Texas A&M/Commerce will face East Central University of Ada, Okla., on Oct. 18.

The free-flying Birds of the World Expo marks its 20th consecutive year at the State Fair of Texas.

September, 2008