A state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in their categories at the more-local county fairs.
Originally a state fair was just a competitive exhibition of livestock in various competitions, the display of farm products which were not necessarily for sale, and the competition among various fair goers and participants in such categories as handicrafts, baked goods, jams and jellies, etc., but has since been expanded to include carnival amusement rides and games, music, races, tests of strength and skill, etc. Large fairs can see more than a million visitors over the course of a week or two. The first official U.S. state fair was in Detroit, Michigan in 1849[1]
Events similar to state fairs are also held annually in each state capital in Australia, known as Royal Shows. Australian Royal shows are organized by state agricultural and horticultural societies, and are described further in the agricultural show article.
Contents |
List of state fairs
United States
| State or Region | Fair Name | Location | Attendance (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama State Fair | Pelham | |
| Alabama National Fair | Montgomery | ||
| Alaska | Alaska State Fair | Palmer | |
| Kenai Peninsula State Fair | Ninilchik | ||
| Tanana Valley State Fair | Fairbanks | ||
| Southeast Alaska State Fair | Haines | ||
| Arizona | Arizona State Fair | Phoenix | 1,303,690 (2006) [1] |
| Navajo Nation Fair | Window Rock | ||
| Arkansas | Arkansas State Fair | Little Rock | 467,007 (2008) [2] |
| California | California State Fair | Sacramento | 941,502 (2006) [3] |
| Colorado | Colorado State Fair | Pueblo | 400,351 (2006) [4] |
| Delaware | Delaware State Fair | Harrington | 307,000 (2007) [5] |
| Florida | Florida State Fair | Tampa | 434,067 (2006) [6] |
| Georgia | Georgia National Fair | Perry | |
| North Georgia State Fair | Marietta | ||
| Illinois | DuQuoin State Fair | DuQuoin | |
| Illinois State Fair | Springfield | 700,000 (2006) [7] | |
| Indiana | Indiana State Fair | Indianapolis | 748,171 (2007) [8] |
| Iowa | Iowa State Fair | Des Moines | 1,053,978 (2004) [9] |
| Kansas | Kansas State Fair | Hutchinson | |
| Kentucky | Kentucky State Fair | Louisville | 614,477 (2006) [10] |
| Louisiana | Cajun Heartland State Fair | Lafayette | |
| State Fair of Louisiana | Shreveport | ||
| Greater Baton Rouge State Fair | Baton Rouge | ||
| Maine | Bangor State Fair | Bangor | |
| Maryland | Maryland State Fair | Timonium | |
| Michigan | Michigan State Fair | Detroit | |
| Upper Peninsula State Fair | Escanaba | ||
| Minnesota | Minnesota State Fair | Falcon Heights | 1,790,497 (2009) [11] |
| Mississippi | Mississippi State Fair | Jackson | |
| Missouri | Missouri State Fair | Sedalia | 340,000 (2005) [12] |
| Montana | Montana State Fair | Great Falls | |
| Nebraska | Nebraska State Fair | Lincoln | 289,683 (2006) [13] |
| Nevada | Nevada State Fair | Reno | |
| New England | The Big E | West Springfield | 1,260,487 (2009)[2] |
| New Hampshire | Hopkinton State Fair | Contoocook | |
| New Jersey | New Jersey State Fair | Augusta | |
| New Mexico | New Mexico State Fair | Albuquerque | 738,664 (2006) [14] |
| New York | Great New York State Fair | Syracuse | 1,102,995 (2006) [15] |
| North Carolina | North Carolina State Fair | Raleigh | 858,611 (2007) [16] |
| North Carolina Mountain State Fair | Fletcher, North Carolina | 187,819 (2007) [17] | |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State Fair | Minot | 247,970 (2006) [18] |
| Ohio | Ohio State Fair | Columbus | 814,512 (2006) [19] |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma State Fair | Oklahoma City | Near 1,000,000 [20] |
| Tulsa State Fair | Tulsa | 915,000 (2008) [21] | |
| Oregon | Oregon State Fair | Salem | |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Farm Show | Harrisburg | over 400,000 (2006) [22] |
| South Carolina | South Carolina State Fair | Columbia | |
| South Dakota | South Dakota State Fair | Huron | 123rd State Fair in 2008 |
| Tennessee | Tennessee State Fair | Nashville | |
| Mid-South Fair | Memphis | ||
| Tennessee Valley Fair | Knoxville, Tennessee | Appx 180,000[23] | |
| Texas | South Texas State Fair | Beaumont | |
| State Fair of Texas | Dallas | Appx 3 million (2003) [24] | |
| East Texas State Fair | Tyler | ||
| North Texas State Fair | Denton | 140,000 (2009)[25] | |
| Utah | Utah State Fair | Salt Lake City | |
| Virginia | State Fair of Virginia | Caroline County | |
| Vermont | Vermont State Fair | Rutland | |
| Washington | Central Washington State Fair | Yakima | |
| Evergreen State Fair | Monroe | ||
| Puyallup Fair | Puyallup | ||
| Northwest Washington Fair | Lynden | 214,315 in 2009 [26] | |
| West Virginia | State Fair of West Virginia | Fairlea | |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin State Fair | Milwaukee | 861,408 (2006) [27] |
| Wyoming | Wyoming State Fair | Douglas |
Awards
State and county fairs are famous for a variety of competitions. Awards are generally given according to the following scale
- First place - blue ribbon
- Second place - red ribbon
- Third place - white ribbon
- Fourth place - yellow ribbon
- Fifth place - green ribbon
- Sixth place - orange ribbon
- Seventh place - purple ribbon
- Eighth place - brown ribbon
See also
References
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
