Mike Guadagnoli turned 100 this year, and he marked the milestone the same way he’s marked most of his birthdays: at the State Fair of Texas. This year was his 75th trip to the fairgrounds, and he made it with his family by his side, just like always.

Guadagnoli is a father of eight, and the fair was an annual tradition he built from the ground up. That meant ten family members making the trip every year, and his daughter Melody remembers what a task that was. But the Guadagnolis kept showing up, decade after decade, even before Big Tex made his debut at Fair Park in 1952. His family says that detail makes him laugh: he was a fairgoer before the fair’s most famous face ever arrived.

Through all those years, Guadagnoli’s reaction to being back is refreshingly simple. He says he’s happy and amazed. For anyone who has ever watched a parent or grandparent light up at a familiar place, that’s a feeling worth holding onto. What’s the tradition your family refuses to give up? Tell us about it in the comments.