Tennessee State Fair 2019
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sun, 09/15/2019
Please help us keep this calendar up to date! If this activity is sold out, canceled, or otherwise needs alteration, email mindy@kidsoutandabout.com so we can update it immediately. If you have a question about the activity itself, please contact the organization administrator listed below.
Some attractions you'll see at this year's 2019 State Fair:
ALL DAY, EVERY DAY
Barn Tours – Presented by Tennessee Farm Bureau. An informative, guided tour throughout the livestock barns and AG Hall. Register on site for a tour time. Tours are given until 7:30pm nightly. MILKING PARLOR
Tiny Acres – Tiny Acres engages little folks with hands-on experience and appreciation of the time and energy that the American farmer puts into bringing food to the family table. Open daily until 9pm. AG LIVE BUILDING
Corn Crib Sandbox – Get a load of corny fun in our very own corn kernel sandbox. Like sand but bigger and better! Open daily until 10pm.
4–H Butterfly Exhibit – Presented by Davidson County 4–H. Interact with Tennessee Native Butterflies - even feed them nectar from a stick! Open daily until 10pm.
Model Train Exhibit – An interactive exhibit where the back of the Marketplace is transformed into a miniature world with multiple tracks, noisy trains, scale models and much more! Open daily until 10pm.
Barnyard Animals – We offer a unique opportunity to experience a live encounter and learn about a variety of friendly, domesticated farm animals. Our interactive approach is fun for the young and young at heart. Open daily until 10pm.
Balloon Bonanza – Sam the Balloon Man will be working in the Ag Live building, creating a huge work of art from balloons alone! Make sure to stop by daily as he is adding and expanding the balloon scene every day of the fair. Open daily until 10pm.
Make Your Mark – Express yourself! Showcase your favorite art, poetry, words of wisdom, graffiti, marriage proposals, and more. You name it, you draw it on our ginormous chalk wall. Keep it clean! Open daily until 10pm.
Creative Arts Demos – Come see artisans leatherworking, quilting, rug hooking, weaving, spinning, knitting, crocheting and more! See winners from all the creative arts competitions and vote on your favorite for special People's Choice awards. Open daily until 10pm.
Rabbit Exhibit – The most hopping place at the Fair! Stop by and see a wide selection of rabbit breeds. Open daily until 10pm.
COMPETITIONS
Ice Cream Eating Competition – Eat your heart out and try not to get a brain freeze! Sat/Sun at 1:30pm. Registration at 1:00pm. Ages 6–12.
Bubble Gum Blowing Contest - Don’t blow your chance! Come blow the biggest and best bubble. Ages 6-12. Saturdays at 3:30pm.
Butter Sculpture Contest - Slide your way into first place sculpting butter! You get 10 minutes to churn out your best creation with only butter and a plastic knife. Ages 6-12. Saturdays at 2:15pm
Animal Imitation Contest - Choose your favorite animal, imitate, win! It’s that easy! Ages 6-12. Sundays at 3:30pm
Stick Horse Barrel Racing - This isn’t for the faint of heart. Come run with the fastest horses in the wild wild Heritage! Bring your derby friends and show ‘em what you’ve got! Ages 6-12. Saturdays at 1pm
Milk Mustache Contest - Come fuel up and sport your best milk mustache! Win the crowd over and claim first place in this brand new competition on Sundays! All ages. Sundays at 2:15pm
Hula Hoop Competition – Wanna hula hoop with the best of ‘em? Sat/Sun at 6pm. Ages 4–12.
Apple Pie Contest – Registration at noon. Saturday, September 14, 1:15pm.
Karaoke Contest – Ready to sing your heart out in the Karaoke Showdown? Competition will be held Friday and Saturday on the first weekend only. The top three singers selected by judges advance to the finals on Sunday. Cash prizes! 7:00pm.
Lip Sync Battle – Get ready to NOT sing your heart out! Competition will be held Friday and Saturday on the second weekend only. The top winners advance to the finals on Sunday. Cash prizes! 7:00pm.
SCHEDULED SHOWS
Western Comedy Show – These two crazy cowboys can’t wait to tell fairgoers about their “Brand New, New and Improved, Bigger And Better, Miracle Tonic” that’s sure to cure all that ails ya. Shades of The Three Stooges and Mel Brooks, this wacky duo are always a crowd pleaser for audiences of all ages. Sat/Sun at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8pm.
Al Menah Shrine Clowns – Who doesn’t love a clown? Watch the wild and wacky clowns perform and entertain children of all ages. Sat/Sun at 12:30, 3:15, 5:30pm.
Safari Acrobats – This has been a big attraction for the past 10 years, with crowds getting bigger every year. The show will mesmerize again with feats such as balancing on chairs, limbo under a rod of fire, tumbling, and fire eating. Sat/Sun at 11, 12:30, 4:30, 9:15pm.
Racing Pigs – Come see some trained pigs race around a track! It’s sure to be a fun, and hilarious, event for all ages. You’ll be surprised at these cute little athletes! Sat/Sun at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9pm.
Mr. Bond the Science Guy – The Science Guys have been teaching STEM and now STEAM programs long before there was an acronym. Sat/Sun at 1:30, 3:30, 6:30pm.
David Turner and Friends – A performing ventriloquist that will entertain you and the whole family through humor and song. Sat/Sun at 2:30, 4:30, 7:30pm.
Fair Parade – Watch as animals, clowns and assorted characters parade through the fairgrounds! Sat at 3pm.
EVENING SHOWS
Milking Demonstrations – Visit this traditional milking facility for a glimpse of the milking ritual with dairy experts on hand to answer questions. The facility provides our exhibitors a clean sanitized place to milk their cows during the fair.
Ham Cooking Demo – A demonstration in the AG Hall for preparing and cooking country ham.
Nightly Wrestling – The fair has a long, storied history with professional wrestling so check out the action!
Check out our live music schedule here!
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Opening Ceremonies – Come witness the pageantry and tradition of the official Tennessee State Fair opening! Friday, September 7 at 6:45pm.
Fairest of the Fair Pageants – Saturday, September 7, 10:30am - 8:00pm.
Bluegrass & Fiddlers Jamboree – Some of Tennessee’s greatest players are coming to the Fair to pick it to win it! Registration is at 10:00am and is free. Come one, come all! Presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. Saturday, September 7, 11:00am.
Bull Whip Rodeo – Trick riding, bullwhip tricks, recuse pickup, mounted shooting, and barrel exhibition. Specialty act at 5 pm and free style bullfighting at 6pm. Saturday, September 7, 12-8pm.
Music City Monster Mayhem – See Bigfoot and Snake Bite take on the biggest, baddest monster trucks in the business plus quad racing and high flying motocross! $10 admission includes pit party with drivers available for pictures and autographs, Friday, September 6 & Saturday, September 7, 8:00pm.
GooGoo Cluster Contest – Always sticky, delicious fun! Sunday, Sept. 8 at noon, Creative Arts stage. Register by Sept. 7 online.
Karaoke Showdown FINALS – The top winners from Friday & Saturday nights will compete! 1st place - $250, 2nd place - $125, 3rd place - $75. Sunday, September 8, 7:00pm.
Celebrity & Legislative Cow Milking Competition – Pull for your favorite local celebrities as they milk it! Monday, September 9, 6:00pm.
Quilts of Valor & Bed Turning – It’s the coziest event on the block! If you love quilts, come see this “Show and Tell” presentation of the quilts entered this year! During this historic tradition, each quilt will be displayed, discussed and the stories of each will be told. The Quilts of Valor presentation will be done in tandem. Wednesday, September 11, 5:30pm.
Ballroom Dancing Demo & Group Lesson – See the pros from Championship Ballroom dance their way through the Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Salsa, Cha Cha, Hustle, Swing East Coast Swing, Jive, Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing and more! Join in a group lesson right afterward to see how easy it is! Wednesday, September 11, 5:30pm.
Spinning Contest – You won’t get dizzy but you will be amazed by watching experts compete in this heritage art by spinning wool on their spinning wheels - blindfolded! Thursday, September 12, 7:00pm.
Funnel Cake 5K – This 5K event is open to youth and adults! Join us for a race, support 4-H, AND get a complimentary funnel cake after the race! Register online or at event. Saturday, September 14, 9:00am.
Corn Hole Championships – Come see the bags fly! Free with fair admission. Ages 10+. Saturday, September 14, 10:00am.
FFA Barbeque Grillmaster Competition – Come see the finest BBQers around “meat” up! Saturday, September 14, 2:00pm.
Lip Sync FINALS – The top winners from Friday & Saturday nights will compete! 1st place - $250, 2nd place - $125, 3rd place - $75. Sunday, September 15, 7:00pm
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.