The Oldest Fairs in Tennessee

The Wilson County Fair in Lebanon serves double duty as the Tennessee State Fair, one of the state's largest annual agricultural events drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors for ten days of world-class entertainment and competition. Dating to 1853, it is one of Tennessee's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The West Tennessee State Fair in Jackson is a ten-day event serving the western third of Tennessee, drawing large crowds from across the region for livestock competition, entertainment, and fall fair tradition. Dating to 1855, it is one of Tennessee's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The Putnam County Fair in Cookeville is a ten-day Upper Cumberland celebration drawing large crowds from across the Tennessee Plateau for livestock competition, major entertainment, and family fun. Dating to 1856, it is one of Tennessee's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

Montgomery County is anchored by Clarksville — Tennessee's fifth-largest city, home to Austin Peay State University and Fort Campbell (home of the 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles") — where one of the nation's largest military installations meets a growing university city at the confluence of the Cumberland and Red Rivers. Dating to 1860, it is one of Tennessee's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville is East Tennessee's premier annual event, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the state's third-largest city for ten days of world-class entertainment, agriculture, and tradition. First held in 1916, it has been a Tennessee agricultural tradition for over a century.

The Appalachian Fair in Gray is a six-day regional celebration drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the Tri-Cities area for one of the largest fairs in the Southeast. First held in 1926, it has been a Tennessee agricultural tradition for over a century.

The Sevier County Fair in Sevierville is a seven-day celebration in Tennessee's top tourist destination, drawing both local families and Great Smoky Mountains visitors for livestock competition and fair fun. Established in 1935, the fair has brought Tennessee communities together for generations.

The Williamson County Fair in Franklin is a nine-day celebration in Tennessee's wealthiest and fastest-growing county, drawing large crowds from the Nashville suburbs for livestock competition and premier entertainment. Launched in 2005, the fair continues to expand its programming and attendance.

The Nashville Fair serves Tennessee's capital and largest city with ten days of fair entertainment, drawing a mix of urban Nashville residents and surrounding rural communities each September. Launched in 2022, the fair continues to expand its programming and attendance.