KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Chilhowee Park has been home to the Tennessee Valley Fair since 1916. A Muse Knoxville expansion and plans to sell a portion of Chilhowee Park leaves the future of the fair uncertain.
“I think that it would be a tragedy to move the fair at this point,” Rhoda Wallace, a Knoxville native, said. “East Knoxville doesn’t have a lot to bring people to the area. Not only should they have that, but they deserve that for the residents there. I think that changing the fair kind of just leaves a lot up in the air.”
The Emerald Youth Foundation is proposing to buy a nearly 13 acre parcel of Chilhowee Park with plans to build a new sports and community complex, according to the City of Knoxville. The City already announced it will lease the Jacob Building to Muse Knoxville in 2028. This building is now used to house competitions, student organizations and local vendors at the fair…