KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — This year’s Tennessee Valley Fair is wrapping up Sunday night, and organizers are saying the event was a success. This comes amid ongoing discussions surrounding the future of Chilhowee park. 6 News spoke with fair organizers and attendees about the fair’s uncertain future.
For East Tennessee locals like John Wright, the fair’s home at Chilhowee park holds lifelong memories. Wright first came to the fair at two months old, and this year marks his 60th visit.
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“The Jacob building up here, has exhibits from business vendors and stuff, and my dad used to own a carpet store, and he had a had a booth in there, and I would come to the fair every day,” explained Wright. “He had passes and I would come every day, and just walking these streets, walking these hills, the pond over here, it’s just all my childhood. If it goes somewhere else, it won’t be the same, but I’ll still be there. You get to my age, you’ve got to make new memories. So, I’ll be all right with it.”Last month, the city announced it will lease the Jacob building to Muse Knoxville starting in 2028, and the city is considering selling a portion of Chilhowee park to the Emerald Youth Foundation that the fair currently uses for parking. The fair will return to Chilhowee in 2026, but after that the future is unclear, and for some the location is everything.“It’s like Christmas. You get the same feeling from the fair. It’s just a feeling of excitement, watching everything go on,” said Stephanie Hernandez who has also attended the Tennessee Valley Fair her whole life.
“The fair is something we always kind of go to… even as adults,” added her younger sister Selena Hernandez…