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. It's been held since 1853, one of Tennessee's most enduring county fair traditions.

Every year, Cookeville hosts the Putnam County Fair, which is a ten-day Upper Cumberland celebration drawing large crowds from across the Tennessee Plateau for livestock competition, major entertainment, and family fun. Its history stretches back to 1856, placing it among Tennessee's oldest agricultural fairs.

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. The fair traces back to 1860, making it one of Tennessee's longest-running agricultural traditions.

Knoxville's Tennessee Valley Fair 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's carried on as a Tennessee agricultural tradition for well over a hundred years.

Humphreys County is a Middle Tennessee county along the Tennessee River centered on Waverly, a community that experienced devastating flooding in August 2021 when over 17 inches of rain fell in 24 hours — one of the deadliest flash floods in Tennessee history — and where the resilient agricultural community has rebuilt with the county fair as a symbol of renewal.

In Gray, the Appalachian Fair 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. Launched in 1926, the fair has held its place in Tennessee agricultural life for generations.

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. Founded in 1935, it continues to bring Tennessee communities together each year.

Ashland City is home to the Cheatham County Fair, which is a three-day Cumberland River valley celebration serving the communities west of Nashville each August.

The Decatur County Fair, based in Parsons, is a four-day Tennessee River valley celebration serving the communities of western Middle Tennessee each August.