Business View Magazine | July 2022

150 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7 AT A GLANCE TENNESSEE VALLEY FAIR WHAT: Non-profit organization showcasing East Tennessee agriculture & heritage WHERE: Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center, Knoxville, Tennessee WEBSITE: www.tnvalleyfair.org F or ten days in September each year, the community of Knoxville, Tennessee comes together to celebrate at the Tennessee Valley Fair. The days are filled with events, entertainment, competitions, and plenty of good food. “This is something that is a great way to showcase our community,” says Abby Villas, Marketing and Communications Manager of the Tennessee Valley Fair. It’s been going strong since 1916 at the same location – Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center – being canceled only for World War II and two pandemics (1919 and 2020, respectively). The Tennessee Valley Fair is unique in many ways. For starters, it’s not the typical rural county fair. “We’re less than five miles away from downtown Knoxville,” Villas explains. “A lot of fairs are in the rural community, but not ours. We’re very close to downtown and we see that as an advantage. We’re able to educate people about agriculture, and I always say that’s amazing to see. We have programs for children to come from school and learn about ag. Believe it or not, there are so many people that have never seen a cow in real life and it just blows their mind. It’s amazing! We just feel privileged that we’re able to do that for LEY FAIR Coming Together for the fun of it