The Tennessee State Fair

I have many great memories that include fun times at fairs and festivals. Growing up my mom took my brothers and I to the Ohio State Fair each year. In high school I was part of a summer choir that performed daily at that same fair. In college, I would often join friends to attend the fairs or festivals around Columbus and Athens. There are so many things I love about these memories - the smiles and laughter that my family and friends and I would share, the greasy but oh-so-yummy fair fries and funnel cakes, the way the lights on the rides would glow, especially at night, and the many sales booths that attempted to sell ridiculous items such as sham wows and elastic tennis shoe strings. To this day I enjoy going to fairs and festivals, so when Brandon and I were driving to church a few weeks ago and saw a billboard about the Tennessee State Fair, we knew we had to go.

The Tennessee State Fair isn't a huge ordeal - there are plenty of games, rides, and food vendors, but it's not a very showy event. In Columbus, the Ohio State Fair boasts of a concert series that includes artists such as Rascal Flatts, Kesha, and Journey. The Ohio State Fair also has larger areas that house sales booths and 4-H creations. Finally, the Ohio State Fair has nightly entertainment such as horse shows, rodeos, and auctions. The Tennessee State Fair was pale in comparison, but it was still a great night out.

Brandon and I took advantage of the many free activities at the Tennessee State Fair. This included a lumberjack show, a petting zoo, a glass sculpting demonstration, an acrobatic act from Kenya, and a banana derby (monkeys that ride dogs and race). We also ate fair food (yay funnel cakes!) while walking around people watching. Here are a few pictures from our experience:

I love my funnel cakes!

Glass sculpting demonstration - this guy was super nice and had great prices!

I was SO scared he was going to nibble on my ear.

Just saying hello.

He just threw an ax (it's mid air in this pic) and ends up hitting bulls eye - so talented!

This is a huge random pig made of a hay bale - it's purposefully on its side,
but Brandon wanted to try to pull it upright.

An acrobatic act from Kenya - they were REALLY neat and did more things than play with fire,
but that was the cool part.

We also took a few videos of the acrobatic act and banana derby (mostly because they're things you need to see to believe). 

We had a great time at the Tennessee State Fair this year - our experience there together added another wonderful memory to the many I have of past fairs and festivals. Fair and festival season still has a few weeks left, so we encourage you to find one in your area & go -- then tell us all about how much fun you had!