The Mid-South Fair is a

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

that was held for many years in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

, every year in late September and early October. It is now held in neighboring northwest

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. It hosts many shows and attractions, as well as different types of rides and concession stands. Not only is it popular in the Memphis area, but also in the adjacent states of Mississippi and

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

, and even nearby

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. The fair's official website states, "As a non-profit organization, our mission is not to make money. Rather, the Fair exists to create a cultural and entertainment experience that exposes the people in our community to items and events they might not otherwise encounter. In addition, we serve as a focal point for all sorts of organizations and communities." The event was last held in Memphis from September 19–28, 2008, in its 152nd year. The fair has been held at the

Lander's Center The Landers Center is an 8,400-seat multi-purpose arena in Southaven, Mississippi. It is home to the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League, a minor league basketball team affiliated with the Memphis Grizzlies. History The center was built in 200 ...

Southaven, Mississippi Southaven is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city in Memphis metropolitan area, Greater Memphis. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census reported a population of 54,648, making it the List of municipal ...

since September 2009.

History

The Shelby County Agricultural Society agreed to host the second fair in the fall of 1856. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the military used the Mid-South Fair to find recruits. In 1908, the name was changed to the Tri-State Fair to encourage more people in areas around Memphis to attend the fair, but this name did not stick. In 1911,

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

Memphians, not allowed to participate fully in the activities due to the

Jim Crow laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...

and customs of the era, founded the Negro Tri State Fair, which was discontinued in 1959. In 2008, the city of Memphis announced that it would not renew the fair's lease on the grounds, which is owned by the city. The fair then announced that it would move to the

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

resort area in

Tunica County Tunica County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,782. Its county seat is Tunica. The county is named for the Tunica Native Americans. Most migrated to central Louisiana during t ...

, at a new site along

U.S. Highway 61 U.S. Route 61 or U.S. Highway 61 (U.S. 61) is a major United States highway that extends between New Orleans, Louisiana and the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River and is designat ...

. The project was cancelled in 2009 due to poor economic conditions. The fair planned to temporarily use the

in Southaven as a temporary host; however, due to the cancellation of the Tunica project, this location has been used since 2009. The fair lasts two weeks and begins the last weekend in September each year.

Attractions

Events and attractions at the Mid-South Fair include a carnival midway and rides, concerts, a home-made ice cream contest, a

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

contest, the Extreme Canines Stunt Dog Show,

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

exhibits, a pig race, and the world's largest youth talent contest. Since being first held in 1953, entrants in the talent contest have included Mississippi natives

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

and

Lance Bass James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, actor, and producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the Bass (voice type), bass singer for the boy band NSYNC. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of ...

and Tennessee native

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Mid-South Fairgrounds Redevelopment site
Annual fairs Agricultural shows in the United States Culture of Memphis, Tennessee Southaven, Mississippi Festivals established in 1856 1856 establishments in Tennessee