By Bridget Browning | July 1, 2025 | Starting today, Texans can purchase State Fair of Texas specialty license plates to show their pride for the Most Texan Place on Earth® and support a cause as big as Texas. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) Board of Directors voted to approve the vibrant, custom-designed plates last winter, marking an exciting milestone for Fair enthusiasts and supporters of our nonprofit mission. For each plate sold, a portion of the proceeds are used to fund the Fair’s community programming, like the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Programs, Big Tex Urban Farms, and Community Giving Program.
The Big Tex Scholarship Program provides millions of dollars in scholarships each year to graduating high school seniors from across the state of Texas. Beneficiaries include students who have participated in competitive youth livestock events at the State Fair, graduating seniors from six Dallas Independent School District high schools near Fair Park, and longtime seasonal employees of the State Fair of Texas or their dependents. The Big Tex Scholarship Program has awarded more than $20.1 million to more than 3,700 Texas students since 1992. On a larger scale, through the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Programs, the Fair has awarded more than $21.4 million in auction awards and scholarships since 2018.
Introduced in 2016, the State Fair’s horticulture-based community initiative, Big Tex Urban Farms, is comprised of planting beds and hydroponic systems housed in the heart of Fair Park. One hundred percent of produce grown by Big Tex Urban Farms is donated to local organizations or initiatives, and as of June 2025, they have surpassed 1.8 million servings of fresh produce donated to the South Dallas community…