| Tennessee State Fair | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | Mid-September |
| Location(s) | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Years active | 1906- Present |
| Attendance | Approx. 230,000 |
| Genre | State fair |
| Website | http://www.tennesseestatefair.org |
The Tennessee State Fair is the annual state fair, held in Nashville, Tennessee. The fair is generally held in the second week of September, as well as the weekends surrounding it. The fair regularly hosts over 200,000 people per year[1] The State Fairgrounds have been under scrutiny since Nashville Mayor Karl Dean announced the closure of the fairgrounds in 2009. After much controversy, a referendum on the city's ability to redevelop the fairgrounds for other uses, with the voters choosing to increase the required votes to make changes from a simple majority to ⅔ majority.[2] The Fair will be held at the Fairgrounds at least through 2012.
The first Tennessee state fair was held in 1869, but only lasted a few years. The property the old fairs were held on was later used for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, and has since become known as Centennial Park.[3] The current incarnation of the State Fair began in 1906, and has been held annually, except during World War II.[1] Originally run by the State of Tennessee, the state relinquished control of the fair to Davidson County in 1923, who ran the fair through a board (and later a commission) until 2011.[3] In 2011, the Tennessee State Fair Association, a public-private partnership, took control of the fair from Nashville, seeking to find a permanent solution and home for the fair, as well better statewide representation.[4]