The State Fair of Texas is open for just 24 days each year, but the work behind it never really stops. According to Steven McCurdy, the fair’s director of construction and maintenance, planning for the next fair begins almost as soon as the current one ends. By January, full carpentry, electrical and plumbing teams are refurbishing props and completing construction projects across Fair Park.

Then there’s the star of the show. Big Tex stands 55 feet tall and weighs 25,000 pounds, and before every fair he’s inspected, cleaned and dressed, which includes a bath. The original Big Tex was destroyed by fire in 2012, and the replacement was engineered to withstand hurricane-force winds. Crews also stay ready for emergencies during the fair’s run, a tradition that goes back to that 2012 fire.

For Waxahachie folks, the fair is an easy drive up I-35, but now you know how much work happens the other 341 days of the year. So what’s your must-do at the State Fair: the food, the rides, or a photo with Big Tex?