The Cocke County Fair was incorporated in 1947 and the fair was held at its present location (the former Allen Farm) in September 1948 after moving from the Newport City Park. Timber was cut from the new fairgrounds to construct some of the buildings. In the beginning, all fair events were horse related, with a different event each night. The horse arena was located where the present day Little Theater is located. The FFA was instrumental in helping establish the fair as Charlie Shipley, agriculture teacher and FFA Advisor was the first president of the fair association. Later, a racetrack was built on the fairgrounds with a car race held each night of the fair. A carnival was soon added to the fair, which was a game changer. As the fair grew, many people attended from the surrounding areas, including Western North Carolina, so the name of the fair was changed to the Tennessee-Carolina Fair. In the late seventies or early eighties, the name of the fair was changed back to the Cocke County A&I Fair.
Today, the Cocke County A&I Fair promotes local agriculture with livestock shows, home goods and competitive exhibits. In 2023, the Cocke County Fair will be providing “JAM PACKED FUN” through Casey’s Rides, Inc. and events scheduled each night of the fair. We hope to see you at the fair!
Officers:
President- Larry Holt
Vice President- Eric Ellison
Secretary/Manager- Libby Strange
Treasurer- Sue Henry
Recording Secretary- Sue Henry
Past President- Jeanne Birdwell
Directors:
C.J. Ball
Jeanne Birdwell
Karen Chambers
Angie Chandler
Eric Ellison
Angie Gorman
Faye Fish
Ronald Fowler
Jill Henry
Sue Henry
Larry Holt
Wayne Holt
Monica Hommel
Rob Mathis
Alicia Payne
Steven Payne
Kellye Stokely
Libby Strange
UT Agriculture Advisors:
Sarah Orr
Steven Sutton
Lena Gefellers
