06/22/2026
๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ
As Fort Stockton prepares to celebrate Independence Day and the nation's upcoming 250th birthday, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks has already joined the festivities.
Paisano Pete received a patriotic red, white and blue outfit, transforming the giant roadrunner into a larger-than-life symbol of both Independence Day and the America250 celebration. The project was commissioned through the Fort Stockton Chamber of Commerce and recognized by the Fort Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau as part of the community's patriotic observance.
Behind the eye-catching display is a team from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Fort Stockton/Lynaugh Complex, where staff and inmate workers collaborated to design and construct the massive costume.
Laundry Capt. Quezada, who supervised the project, said the inspiration for the design originated with Warden Bundy and Ray, whose concept was then brought to life by the sewing team.
The project relied heavily on creativity and resourcefulness. According to Quezada, many of the materials were repurposed from items already available at the unit.
"The stars they're made out of recycled... there's plastic that covers the mattresses," Quezada said.
The shirt itself was made from standard cotton fabric, while the hat was constructed from cardboard and covered with plastic to withstand the elements. Rather than purchasing specialized materials, the team adapted available resources into a finished product capable of fitting one of Fort Stockton's most recognizable landmarks.
Creating a costume large enough for Paisano Pete presented unique challenges. Quezada explained that the team began with a pattern originally developed for a previous holiday project.
"We had a pattern from the Santa Claus shirt that they had. A pattern from Santa Claus is how they started getting their original designs back... as a template," he said.
Without a mannequin large enough to match Paisano Pete's dimensions, workers took measurements from one of the facility's sergeants before making adjustments through trial and error. Modern technology also played a role in the process.
"We use the iPhone measuring app for more accurate measurements," Quezada said. "Before using a measuring tape, but it was inflexible."
Screenshots from the measuring application allowed the team to capture dimensions and work more accurately on the curved surfaces of the giant statue.
The project was completed by six inmate workers, many of whom brought years of experience to the assignment.
"We had for this one about six individuals working on it," Quezada said. "Very talented individuals. Most of them have been sewers for, you know, ten fifteen years, so they know how to work the machine pretty good."
The work was completed inside the unit's sewing and production facilities, where the team spent time cutting, measuring, assembling and refining the oversized garment pieces before installation.
Now complete and on display, the patriotic outfit serves as a highly visible reminder of Fort Stockton's Independence Day celebrations and the approaching America250 milestone. It also highlights a unique partnership between local organizations and skilled workers whose craftsmanship often goes unseen by the public.
Visitors passing through Fort Stockton this holiday season will find Paisano Pete dressed for the occasion, standing as a symbol of community pride, creativity and the collaborative effort that brought the project to life.
Fort Stockton Pioneer
