Tennessee Valley Fair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tennessee Valley Fair |
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Ferris wheel at Tennessee Valley Fair, September 2014
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| Genre | Regional fair |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Knoxville, Tennessee, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°59′57″N 83°53′01″W / 35.9992°N 83.8836°W |
| Website | tnvalleyfair.org |
The Tennessee Valley Fair is a super fun yearly event! It happens in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center. Every September, for ten days, the fair brings together people for exciting rides, delicious food, cool contests, and lots of entertainment. It's also known as the Tennessee Valley Agricultural & Industrial Fair.
Contents
History of the Fair
The fair has a long and interesting past! It all started with two big events called the Appalachian Exposition in 1910 and 1911. These events were very popular.
After seeing how much people loved the expositions, organizers decided to create an even bigger event. So, in 1913, they held the National Conservation Exposition.
People realized there was a need for a fair every year. So, the first East Tennessee Division Fair happened in 1916. The fair took a break in 1917 and 1918 because of a widespread illness. But it started up again in 1919!
In 1932, the fair became a non-profit organization. This means it's run to benefit the community, not to make money for owners. It was renamed the Tennessee Valley Agricultural and Industrial Fair. The first fair under this new name was in 1933.
The fair has been held every year since 1919, except for a few times. It was paused from 1942 to 1945 during World War II. In 2020, the fair was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 101st fair was then held in 2021.
Fair Timeline
- 1910-1911: Appalachian Exposition
- 1913: National Conservation Exposition
- 1916, 1919–1932: East Tennessee Division Fair
- 1933-1941: Tennessee Valley Agricultural and Industrial Fair
- 1946–2019, 2021–: Tennessee Valley Agricultural and Industrial Fair
Fun Contests and Shows
The Tennessee Valley Fair has tons of exciting contests and shows for everyone! You can enter or just watch and cheer. Here are some of the cool things you might see:
Creative and Craft Contests
- Arts & Crafts: Show off your creative skills!
- Cakes, Breads & Pies: Bake something delicious.
- Canning: Display your preserved foods.
- Confections: Sweet treats like candies and chocolates.
- Decorated Cakes, Cupcakes & Cake Pops: Make edible art!
- Fine Arts: Paintings, drawings, and sculptures.
- Graphic Design: Digital art and designs.
- Holiday & Special Craft: Crafts for different seasons.
- Jewelry: Handmade necklaces, bracelets, and more.
- Needle Work: Sewing, knitting, and embroidery.
- Photography: Capture amazing moments with your camera.
- Pinterest Interest: Crafts inspired by Pinterest ideas.
- Quilting: Beautiful fabric designs.
- Scrapbooking & Creative Cards: Design unique memory books and cards.
- Vinyl Craft: Projects made with vinyl.
- Woodcarving & Wood Sculpture: Art made from wood.
Unique and Fun Challenges
- Barn Quilts: Large painted quilt squares.
- Cheerleading & Dance: Show off your moves!
- Chili Cook-Off: Who makes the best chili?
- Cornhole Tournament: A fun beanbag toss game.
- Crazy Cakes & Baby Bouquets: Creative and funny entries.
- Doll Show: Display your favorite dolls.
- Fairy Garden: Create a tiny magical world.
- Giant Growing: See who can grow the biggest vegetables!
- Ice Cream Eating: A race to finish your ice cream.
- LEGO Build: Build amazing things with LEGO bricks.
- LEGO Extravaganza: Even more LEGO fun!
- LEGO SUMO-Bot: Robots made from LEGOs that battle!
- Medal of Honor Photography: Photos honoring heroes.
- One-Pot Meal Challenge: Cook a tasty meal in one pot.
- Pageants: Show off your talents and personality.
- Plein Air: Artists paint outdoors.
- Robo-Rodeo Robotics: Robots competing in challenges.
- Scarecrow: Design a creative scarecrow.
- Talent: Sing, dance, or perform!
Horticulture and Animal Shows
- Flower Show: Beautiful displays of flowers.
- Honey Show: Taste and judge different kinds of honey.
- Horticulture: Growing plants and gardens.
- Livestock Catalog:
- Beef Show: See different types of cattle.
- Dairy Goats: Goats that produce milk.
- Dairy Show: Cows that produce milk.
- Eastern Region 4-H Junior Dairy Show: Young people showing dairy animals.
- Junior Beef Show: Young people showing beef cattle.
- Junior Sheep Show: Young people showing sheep.
- 4-H Invitational Rabbit Show: Rabbits shown by 4-H members.
- Poultry & Junior Poultry: Chickens, ducks, and other birds.
- Rabbit Show: Different breeds of rabbits.
- Sheep Show: Different breeds of sheep.
- Wool Show: Judging the quality of wool.
Student Competitions
- 4-H: Projects from 4-H clubs.
- FCCLA: Family, Career and Community Leaders of America projects.
- FFA: Future Farmers of America projects.
- Girl Scouts: Projects from Girl Scout troops.
- HOSA: Health Occupations Students of America projects.
- Skills USA: Vocational and technical skills competitions.
- Student Art: Artwork created by students.
