Luis Yanez signs autographs at the State Fair.

Over the decades celebrities and world dignitaries have been a part of the festivities.  Former United States Presidents, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and George Bush have all visited.  Old Western legends like Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley have performed, as well as rock and roll icons like the one and only Elvis Presley.

In 1929, the very first Texas-OU game (a.k.a. the "Red River Rivalry") was played at the State Fair.  Everyone's favorite cowboy, Big Tex, arrived in 1952 and in 1986 as the Fair celebrated its' 100th anniversary Fair Park was designated as a National Historic Landmark.  Besides Texas-OU, the fair is known for corny dogs, fried anything, turkey legs, expensive everything, the world’s largest ferris wheel, and the Grambling-Prairie View (a.k.a. the "State Fair Classic) halftime show. 

Over the past 25 years, I've attended the State Fair with friends and family to the point of becoming jaded, mainly because it's amongst the quickest and easiest ways to go broke.  But this year, for the first time in my life, I got to experience the Fair at absolutely no cost.  That's the benefit of hanging out with a legend, the "Latin Legend" Luis Yanez, to be specific.

Yanez, a 2008 United States Olympian and current Texas Super Flyweight Champion was honored at the "Celebration of Culture - 2009", presented by Mundo Latino.  This year's theme was "Latino Sports Heroes" and an array of Latin sports figures had exhibits at the Hall of State.  Our very own "Latin Legend" was among them.  The shrine began on September 25th and was open to the public, 7 days a week until October 18th.  Every Sunday during the fair, Yanez showed up, worked the mitts, shadow boxed, jumped rope then signed autographs for a large, appreciative crowd.