It's Fair Time in Tennessee

Photo by Chad Greene // Buy this photo

One of the biggest draws for many fans at the Tennessee Valley Fair is the midway rides.

New and classic fair foods at the Tennessee Valley Fair

Photo by Emily Spence

Macey Hipsher of Rutledge helps her father Mark Hipsher clean and prepare their calves for the junior livestock competition at a previous year's Tennessee Valley Fair.

KNOXVILLE — Each year sure signs show that one East Tennessee summer is turning into another East Tennessee fall. Families begin to wonder about the state of the University of Tennessee football team. Children go back to school. UT football begins. Boomsday lights up the downtown Knoxville sky the Sunday before Labor Day. Families debate the merits of UT's offense versus defense.

All that brings East Tennessee to the Friday after Labor Day and the annual Tennessee Valley Fair.

The fair in Chilhowee Park off Interstate 40's Exit 392A is 10 days of midway rides, livestock shows, concerts and competitions topped by tractor pulls, funnel cakes and displays of award-winning canned goods and more. This year's fair starts today and continues through Sept. 18.

The fair has been an East Tennessee tradition for more than nine decades. Its returning events include "Mayberry Day" on Sept. 17, with events focused on the beloved Andy Griffith televisions series, and the ninth annual Hispanic-focused "La Fiesta Latina" Sept. 18.

The fair's Action Sports Arena roars with tractor and truck pulls, lawn mower racing, a demolition derby and three days of an old-fashioned rodeo. Sept. 10 returns the fair's emphasis on helping find a cure for cancer. It's "Paint the Fair Pink Day" with some events benefiting the Knoxville affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization.

This year the event adds some new events to its anticipated lineup of favorites. And there's some new ultimately fair food as well — a red velvet funnel cake and a fried green tomato burger. This from the fair that last year brought culinary adventurers deep fried sweet cream butter and a Krispy Kreme Donut Burger.

Magic mixes with agriculture in a new show with multiple show times each day. It's the "Thank-A-Farmer Magic Show." The program uses entertainment and education to illustrate how magically important agriculture is.

Also new is a "Reel-It-In" Sept. 10 casting competition. Open to all ages, the contest is hosted by professional fishermen Sonny Lee and Joe Lee. Fisherman hopefuls can sign up on Sept. 10; the fair suggest getting to the Jacob Building by about 9:30 a.m. and bring your own rod and reel. The contest itself will be held outside the Jacob Building and will test contestants on how far they can cast their fishing line.

Legos, that popular building toy, may create its own fair legacy. New is a Lego-building contest on Sept. 17. Fifteen individuals and teams will be allowed to compete; each has about an hour to build a Lego creation. Individual check-in starts at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 17; teams at 2:30 p.m. Preschoolers through adults are welcome.

Those who don't wish to compete or don't make it in time to make 15-number cutoff can still check out the dozens of Lego models that have been prebuilt and brought to exhibit at the fair. Both the Lego exhibit and the contest will be in the Kerr Building.

The fair often includes special admission deals during it run. Among them is the Sept. 11 "Hometown Heroes Day" where local people who help others get in for $1. Those heroes are defined by the fair as current and past members of the military, law enforcement, firefighters, first responders and current teachers. Some form of identification as to the hero's affiliation is needed for the admission deal.

And for those families debating the Volunteers' overall win-loss record, the fair recognizes your passion with two "Tailgating at the Fair" days. Fairgoers who wear Tennessee orange or the colors of the Cincinnati Bearcats Sept. 10 get $2 off adult admission. There's $2 off adult admission as well Sept. 17 for people wearing Tennessee's colors or the colors of archrival Florida.

© 2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
Want to use this article? Click here for options!

© 2011 Knoxville.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.