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Big Tex Hits the Big Five-Oh
| September 27, 2002 |
Dallas |
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Big Tex, the beloved, 52-foot-tall host of the State Fair of Texas, was the guest of honor today at a special birthday celebration.
The slow-talking Texan, who first appeared at the fair in 1952, celebrated his 50th birthday along with hundreds of fairgoers. He was presented with a 6-foot, three-tiered faux cake and joined by the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps.
The band played "Happy Birthday" as attendants, both young and old, sang along.
Additionally, having reached the age of eligibility, the big man was presented with a giant AARP card, good for life.
Read the Special Report on Big Tex's birthday bash. |
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Filling Some Big Shoes
| September 27, 2002 |
Dallas |
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 "Howdy, pardner," I was greeted as I met the new voice for Big Tex. "Welcome ... to ... the ... State ... Fair ... of ... Texas!"
Bill Bragg, the seventh person to provide the voice for the enormous emcee, took his position today behind the microphone. He proudly wore an outfit matching that of Big Tex as he personally greeted visitors and posed for snapshots.
Although just his first day speaking for Tex, the Dallas native says the response has been wonderful. "Just great ... couldn't be better," he said. "Even got a couple of birthday cards." This year marks Big Tex's 50th birthday and visitors have been getting into the spirit.
As reported in January, Bragg replaced "Sonny" Rea Stolz this year as the vocal artist behind Big Tex. Stolz, who admitted to having disagreements with fair officials, decided not return after his first year.
The new host hopes to be around much longer. He says he plans to continue with the fair for a long time to come. "Until I'm 99 years old, then we're going to take it a year at a time after that."
Bill Bragg, an experienced broadcaster, founded the Yesterday USA Radio Networks. He can be heard live nightly from Monday through Thursday. |
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A Toast to the Butter!
| September 27, 2002 |
Dallas |
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 After an unfortunate hiatus, the traditional butter sculpture has returned this year to the State Fair of Texas.
The large, dairy statues have appeared at the fair off and on since the 1920s and were a regular item since 1995, with the exception of last year. Sponsor Land O' Lakes dropped out last season, reportedly opting out of butter-sculpture sponsorships for fairs all over the country so they could focus more on educating consumers on the use of butter in cooking.
According to a Texas Twisted report that seems to have vanished (I swear I wrote one), State Fair of Texas organizers couldn't pull together a new sponsor in time, so last year's butter sculpture was replaced by one made of clay. (Really, I can’t figure out what happened to it. It was titled “Bitter Butter Battle.”)
Fairgoers, however, demanded their cholesterol. With funding provided this year through the fair's Creative Arts Department, Sharon BuMann, who has created both the butter and clay statues since 1997, was sculpting in her churned medium once again.
This year's delicious work of art features a modern-day cowboy enjoying a drive through the countryside in his '59 Cadillac convertible. |
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Woofus Prances, Mosies, Gallops, Ruts, Waddles and Flies Back Home
| September 27, 2002 |
Dallas |
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A strange sight has made an appearance at Fair Park for the first time in decades. Known as the Woofus, the 9-foot-tall statue is composed of a sheep’s head, a longhorn steer’s horns, a horse’s neck, a hog’s body, a duck’s wings and a turkey’s tail.
The 2,700-pound bronze sculpture was originally created for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, but was mysteriously misplaced shortly thereafter. It’s possible that it was removed for repair and simply lost, or that it had fallen victim to conservative religious groups who saw it as a pagan idol. For now, it’s impossible to know; documentation concerning the Woofus is sketchy. In fact, no one is even sure where the name Woofus came from.
It had been forgotten for years until Craig Holcomb, executive director of Friends of Fair Park, discovered some old photographs of the oddball creature and, in 1997, started a campaign to recreate it.
Annual Woofus Dinners were held, during which patrons greeted each other with a “woof, woof” and sang the Woofus Song. The ridiculous nonsense raised $30,000 in two years.
The new Woofus was scheduled for installation in 1999, but the seemingly cursed creature hit a speed bump — its mold was destroyed in a fire, the cause of which was not determined.
More woofing and singing (and dining at $150 a plate) raised another $15,000 and the mysterious Woofus was finally installed last week, just in time for the 2002 State Fair of Texas.
The Woofus can be found outside the Swine Building, near the Pan Am Gate. |
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Big Tex Gets Set for 2002
| September 23, 2002 |
Dallas |
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A crew of engineers specially trained in assembling very large cowboys erected Big Tex this morning in anticipation of his debut for the 2002 State Fair of Texas.
This year marks Tex's 50th and, as reported earlier by Texas Twisted, he's sporting new duds to mark the occasion. Additionally, the tall Texan will have a new voice this season, enthusiastically provided by Bill Bragg (Jan. 25), who already provides the greeting for the fair's telephone information line.
A special ceremony is planned for 5 p.m. this Friday in which the now-eligible Big Tex will receive his AARP membership, entitling him to a variety of benefits including 5% off Hertz Leisure Rates and $50 off Gateway computers.
Friday is opening day at the fair, which will run through Oct. 20.
Check back here at Texas Twisted for special opening-day coverage! |
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Ex-squeeze Me?
| September 16, 2002 |
San Antonio |
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Well, folks, the first International Accordion Festival, as reported last year by Texas Twisted, must have been a big hit, because it's on again this year!
That's right, in another enthusiastic effort to celebrate what has oft been described as the most annoying musical instrument known to man, San Antonio is playing host to the second annual — we can call it annual now — International Accordion Festival on Oct. 19 and 20.
Along with the usual variety of musical performances and squeezebox-centered film viewings, this year's event will coincide with a special accordion exhibit at the Witte Museum. The presentation will feature vintage accordions, black-and-white photographs examining accordion culture and an unexplained "sound installation." The exhibit will take place Sept. 26 through Jan. 26. |
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