Everything’s Bigger in Texas! The 9 Things That Are Bigger in Texas

1. Big Tex and the State Fair

The Texas State Fair is something to behold. Welcoming one and all to this yearly event is none other than Big Tex. Standing at 52 feet tall, Big Tex is the tallest cowboy in the world. This ginormous statue first arrived in 1952 to advertise the state fair. However, this wasn’t Big Tex’s first stop. He actually held a different position as a Santa Claus in Kerens, Texas. This icon has become such a huge hit, that he even has his own merchandise for sale.

The Texas State Fair’s origins started in 1886. Throughout the years, Texas has had many changes. As it stands now, the fair runs for 24 days and has an average of 2.2 million people. Sitting at 227 acres, the Texas State Fair is the biggest fair in the country. The fair is so big that it also hosts up to two college football games at the Cotton Bowl Stadium.

2. Football Stadiums

There is no state that loves their football more than Texas. It doesn’t matter if it’s peewee, junior, youth, high school, or college football. Texans love it. Visitors quickly learn that football is a part of the Texas culture. No one knows for sure why football is the sport of choice, but it is. Many Texans say that football is in their DNA.

High school football games are a huge hit within the community. It becomes a gathering place for friends and family. The community and unity a football game brings together is completely unmatched in the state of Texas.

3. Cowboy Boots

You can’t get more Texas than a good pair of cowboy boots. Well, how about a pair that are over 30 feet tall? Texas local Bob “Daddy-O” Wade created the world’s largest pair of cowboy boots back in 1979. Sadly, these 10,000-pound ostrich skin boots did not start in Texas. They were created and placed in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. The creator even boasted that 300,000 gallons of beer could be placed inside a boot.

Less than four months later, the boots were bought and transferred to the North Star Mall in San Antonio. It took three trucks and a lot of back roads to get the boots to Wade’s home state.

4. Gas Stations

You haven’t seen big until you’ve been to a Buc-ee’s. It’s so big, it has its own mascot. This gas station isn’t just a gas station. It’s so much more. Some Buc-ees have anywhere between 60 to 100 pumps and up to 1,000 parking spots. The world’s largest gas station sits off I-35 in New Braunfels, boasting over 66,000 square feet of storefront.

These gas stations host walls of candy, barbeque pits, and up to 80 soda fountains. Buc-ee’s also has the best-prepared food and snack collections. It has breakfast tacos, sliced brisket sandwiches, sausage, jerky, roasted nuts, and fudge.

5. Big Bertha

The world’s largest bass drum belongs to Austin, Texas. Big Bertha stands at 10 feet tall, 8 feet around, and weighs more than 500 pounds. In 1954, it was purchased for $1.00 and transported to the University of Texas. Named after the famous German howitzer, this monolith is sounded after touchdowns during varsity football games.

6. Barbecue

Barbequing and Texas are synonymous with one another. This cooking method is so big in Texas that there are different methods for barbequing based on what area of Texas you are in. East Texas serves chopped beef, south Texas focuses on barbacoa, and West Texas cooks over direct heat in a style more akin to grilling. However, there is a style of cooking that everyone uses called Texas Barbeque. That is the method of cooking brisket low and slow over indirect heat. Texans have perfected barbequing and serve it anywhere from tailgate parties to holidays and, of course, cookouts.

7. Dr. Pepper

Texans have a big soft spot for this particular soda pop. Dr. Pepper was actually created in 1885 by a pharmacist, Charles Alderton, in Waco, Texas. This drink has been a part of the state’s culture for over 100 years. So, naturally, Texans across the state take great pride in a drink that was created in their own backyard. Originally, it started out being called Waco and was served from a soda fountain at the local Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store. It quickly became so popular that a company was formed, and a new name was given to the soda pop.

The drink was so popular that a Dr. Pepper Museum was created to commemorate the rich history of the soda. There was also a replica Old Corner Drug Store that serves as a portal to the very place where Dr. Pepper began. This particular beverage is also the oldest major soft drink in the United States.

8. Bluebonnets

Bluebonnets are such a big deal in Texas that there is an entire festival in Ennis, Texas, for just this single flower. The bluebonnet is also the state flower of Texas, and for good reason. The bluebonnet narrowly beat out two other flowers back in 1901 to be named the official state flower. The name paid homage to the many brave Texas pioneer women. This flower remains one of the most beloved and recognizable symbols of the great state of Texas. The plant’s determination to come back, year after year, despite soil and weather conditions, is symbolic of the resilient people who call Texas their home.

In order to beautify Texas even more, the Texas Department of Transportation buys and sows about 30,000 pounds of wildflowers each year. They are planted on the sides of the highway. Bluebonnets pop up and grow anywhere, including on roadsides, fields, sidewalks, and, of course, in Texan’s gardens. Wherever there are bluebonnets, you will find Texans sitting among them and taking pictures.

9. Whataburger

Just like Dr. Pepper, Whataburger is a creation that came out of the great Lone Star State. This franchise started out as a little burger joint in 1950 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Selling burgers for merely 35 cents, this restaurant became a huge success. In the 1960s, the facade changed to the orange and white buildings everyone knows today.

There are currently around 700 Whataburgers in Texas alone, with another 200 spread across over 14 states. Texans take great pride in anything that is created in their state. Because of this, Whataburger has become a part of Texas culture and Texas pride.