2026 Big Tex Boot Design Contest Presented by Lucchese

By State Fair of Texas | October 22, 2025 | It’s time to hang up Big Tex’s old boots and design a new pair! The 2026 Big Tex Boot Design Contest officially kicks off today, October 22, 2025. In 2023, Big Tex got a brand-new pair of custom Lucchese boots, designed by previous contest winner Jessica Bonilla of Irving, Texas, and now he wants to give another loyal Fair fan the opportunity to design his next pair that he’ll debut at the 2026 State Fair of Texas.  

In 2023, the contest was narrowed down to five designs, with Bonilla’s design coming in as the top choice. As the first-place winner, Bonilla received the opportunity to work with the State Fair of Texas and Lucchese Bootmaker to put the finishing touches on her boot design before her design was brought to life on Big Tex’s size 96 boots. While these boots are very special to Big Tex, he’s ready to refresh his wardrobe with a whole new pair. The 2026 Big Tex Boot Design Contest, presented by Lucchese Bootmaker, gives Fair fans the chance to design the biggest, best-known pair of boots in the Lone Star State.

It’s time to get creative and submit your best design. All you need to do is draw, paint, or illustrate your design on the templates provided at BigTex.com/DesignMyBoots and submit them with an entry form to the State Fair of Texas. The winning design will be announced on March 2, 2026. Who knows? It just might be yours.

The contest opens today, October 22, 2025, and the deadline is January 31, 2026, so get to designing! All entries must be postmarked by Saturday, January 31, 2026, to be considered.