vinson family

Patti and Jonathan Vinson have been married 13 years, and it was at the State Fair of Texas she told him she was pregnant with their first child.

“We were in the food court area, near the Cotton Bowl, and I remember seeing the booth for Jack’s French Fries and Fletcher’s Corny Dogs,” she says.

On a lark, they took photos “in one of those goofy photo booths” that day. And the next year, they took another photo with their baby daughter, Claire. Now it’s a family tradition.

“It’s a fascinating record of how we’ve all changed,” Vinson says.

The family started entering the creative arts competitions five years ago. Patti entered two photos, and while she was at it, she submitted artwork from Claire, who was 7 at the time. Claire’s was a self-portrait, and she won the purple ribbon for best in show.

“She has considered herself an artist since that day,” she says of Claire, who is now 11.

Claire’s brother, 8-year-old Will, also submits artwork. Will’s first word, uttered while pointing at a refrigerator magnet depicting Big Tex, was “howdy,” Patti says.

The fair is a favorite family activity for the Vinsons, and it’s a big deal to them every year. But last year “was the most thrilling,” Patti says, because they were asked to be judges for the chili cook-off. Fair judges are given season passes and parking passes.

“We didn’t do it for that. We didn’t even know we would get all these perks,” Patti says. “We were just so happy to be part of the State Fair. It’s so interesting, and there’s such a great crowd of people.”