State Fair of Texas fans can now display their love on their license plate: The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Board of Directors has given their approval for a State Fair of Texas specialty license plate, marking an exciting milestone for Fair enthusiasts not to mention supporters of higher education.
Texans will be able to purchase the custom-designed plates starting in 2025. The plate features Texas icon Big Tex and his signature, “Howdy, Folks!”
The Big Tex Scholarship Program provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors from across the state of Texas. Beneficiaries include students who have participated in 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 $18.8 million to more than 3,500 Texas students since 1992.
Texas license plates come in all sorts of themes: military, high schools, Texas institutions, hobbies, nature, sports, fraternities & sororities, and charities.
“The State Fair of Texas is a cherished tradition, and this new specialty license plate provides an incredible opportunity for Texans to showcase their pride while supporting Texas students,” said Karissa Condoianis, SVP of Public Relations.
Photo courtesy of Aardman / Sky UK LTD / StudioCanal 2026
Shaun the Sheep in Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.
Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Aardman Animations character Shaun the Sheep has been almost as popular as the studio’s flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit. There is never a shortage of trouble Shaun can get into as he leads his flock and proves to be a thorn in the side of his farmer and Bitzer, the farmer’s loyal sheepdog.
His antics lead everyone down some slightly spooky roads in the new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. At first, things are only slightly awry as Shaun and the flock are growing a secret pumpkin patch to have their own jack-o-lanterns. But when the farmer accidentally destroys the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to regrow it quickly with a Frankenstein-esque experiment.
However, disaster looms when Shaun uses an old bottle of Hair-Gro as the container for the serum he creates. Naturally, the balding farmer uses it on his head, and everyone soon discovers how truly successful it is, with pumpkins growing out of control and the farmer sprouting hair all over his body. Through a series of mishaps, the farmer becomes the titular beast, creating mayhem while Shaun and others try to stop him.
Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and written by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, the film goes down just as easy as every other Aardman project has. They get the Halloween vibes started from the opening credits, with things like the sheep doing the “Thriller” dance, and continue the fun throughout, referencing everything from Psycho to Friday the 13th in a nice, PG way.
With no script — every character is mute save for reaction noises — the movie relies on sight gags for its humor, and the Aardman team is endlessly inventive in that respect. Sometimes it’s small things like a sheep using toilet paper rolls as binoculars, and sometimes it’s something like forcing the Bigfoot-like farmer to be shaped into a rectangle as he escapes through a window. But there’s a never-ending stream of such moments, so even if one doesn’t tickle your funny bone, chances are the next one will.
The biggest benefit of the characters not talking is that there’s no need for deep character development. The filmmakers do a great job of giving the basic traits of each character, and then use those attributes to color everyone’s actions for the rest of the film. Shaun is the troublemaker, the farmer is a bumbling fool, Bitzer is preternaturally smart, and the town’s vet is empathetic, and the combination of those characters and others makes for a highly entertaining blend.
Like all Aardman creations, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a fun lark that doesn’t make its audience think too hard. With just enough references to keep viewers engaged but not so many as to be overbearing, the film puts its well-worn characters to good use once again, delivering a Halloween season story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
---
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is now playing in theaters.
