 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement .(September 2017) |
| Tulsa State Fair | |
|---|---|
| Genre | State fair |
| Dates | 11 Days |
| Location(s) | Tulsa, OK |
| Founded | 1903 [1] |
| Attendance | 1,075,000 in 2023 [2] |
| Website | http://www.tulsastatefair.com |
The Tulsa State Fair is an annual event held at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The modern fair takes place in late September (usually on the fourth Tuesday after Labor Day, and occasionally in early October) and lasts 11 days.
The event officially began in the late 1890s as a street fair. The Tulsa County Free Fair began in 1903 at the Western Association baseball park in downtown Tulsa, located at Archer Street and Boston Avenue. [3] This event continued through the years until 1913, when the International Dry Farming Congress was established in Tulsa.
In 1913, with the enactment of the Oklahoma Free Fair Act and with Tulsa's ability to attract the International Dry Farming Congress, a 16 acres (6.5 ha) tract of land north of Archer Street and Lewis Avenue was purchased. It would be the home of the Tulsa State Fair for the next 13 years. [3]
In 1923, the Tulsa Fairgrounds were moved to a 240-acre lot donated by Tulsa oilman J. E. Crosbie, located between Fifteenth and Twenty-first Streets in midtown Tulsa. [3]
In 1926, it was decided that a group needed to be established in order to make decisions over the new location that is the present-day fairgrounds and Expo Square. The 1931 bond issue of $500,000 provided funds to construct the art deco-style Tulsa Fairgrounds Pavilion and make other necessary improvements, which led to the 1935 legislation that elevated the small local free fair to state fair status. [3]
In 1949, the Tulsa State Fair merged with a spring livestock show to bring livestock events to the fair. [4] In 1966, The International Petroleum Exposition (IPE) Center, now known as the SageNet Center, was built and made into a major part of the fair. During the 1970s, updates were made and year-round marketing began around the complex. It was at this time the fairgrounds were renamed to "Expo Square". Updates were made throughout the Pavilion, and a 13,000-seat grandstand was built.
The Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority has administered the fair since 1983. The authority consists of three Tulsa County commissioners and two at-large delegates. [4] The Tulsa Police and Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, alongside security guards, have been the fair's patrollers.
Expo Square now holds hundreds of events each year, with the Tulsa State Fair being one of the only events that it produces internally.
The fair was not held in 1917 or 1918 due to World War I, nor was it held from 1942 through 1945 due to World War II.
In 2020, the state fair's board of directors announced the cancellation of the 2020 fair due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Oklahoma. That year, the fair had only allowed junior livestock shows and certain vendors. [5]
Attractions at the Tulsa State Fair include thrill and kiddie rides on the Midway, agricultural exhibits located in the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex, grounds entertainment, and educational exhibits.
The largest facility at the fairgrounds is the SageNet Center (formerly the River Spirit Expo, Exposition Center, and International Petroleum Exhibition Building). Inside, vendors and exhibit booths provide both educational and money-saving experiences (many vendors offer special "state fair" pricing in order to attract customers).
A world's fair, also known as a fun exhibition or an expo, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.
The Big E, formally known as The Eastern States Exposition, is an annual fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts which opens on the second Friday after Labor Day and runs for seventeen days.
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The Expo Square Pavilion, sometimes called simply The Pavilion, and formerly known as the Tulsa Fairgrounds Pavilion, is a 6,311-seat multi-purpose arena, in the Tulsa State Fairgrounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Golden Driller is a 75-foot-tall (23 m), 43,500-pound (19,700 kg) statue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, depicting an oil worker. The structure is a steel frame covered with concrete and plaster. It is the sixth-tallest statue in the United States and has been located in front of the Tulsa Expo Center since 1966.
The Oregon State Fair is the official state fair of the U.S. state of Oregon. It takes place every August–September at the 185-acre (0.75 km2) Oregon State Fairgrounds located in north Salem, the state capital, as it has almost every year since 1862. In 2006, responsibility for running the fair was delegated to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department, and the division is now known as the Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center (OSFEC), which holds events on the fairgrounds year-round.
The Portland Expo Center, officially the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, is a convention center located in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in the early 1920s as a livestock exhibition and auction facility, the center now hosts over 100 events a year, including green consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, meetings and other special events. Located on the north side of Portland near Vancouver, Washington, it includes the northern terminus for the Yellow Line of Portland's light-rail transit system and has connections to TriMet Bus Line 11-Rivergate/Marine Dr.
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Fair Meadows Race Track is a large race track and betting center located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The track features live horse races Thursday through Sunday from early June to late July at its facility at Expo Square Pavilion in the Tulsa State Fairgrounds.
SageNet Center, originally known as the Exposition Center from 1966 to 2007 and QuikTrip Center, until 2012, and River Spirit Expo from 2013 to 2021, is the center of the Tulsa State Fair and one of the largest clearspan buildings in the world. The Expo Center provides 354,000 square feet (32,900 m2) of column-free space under a cable-suspended roof. The building spans 448,400 total square feet on two levels, connected by side ramps and stairs, allowing for a variety of show floor plans.
The South Florida Fair is an annual fair held in West Palm Beach, Florida every January. The fairgrounds site occupies 100 acres and is located on the site of the former Palm Beach Speedway at the intersection of Southern Boulevard and Fairground Road, adjacent to the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre. In 2012, the fair celebrated its 100th anniversary since its founding in 1912. Nearly 500,000 people attend the South Florida Fair each year.
The California State Fair (CSF) is the annual state fair for the state of California. The fair is held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California. The Fair is a 17-day event showcasing California's industries, agriculture, and diversity of people. The CSF features blue-ribbon animal displays, culinary delights and competitions, live music concerts, a carnival, fireworks, and other family fun. In 2018, officials reported daily attendance drew between 20,000 and 60,000 people per day and about $8.5 million of food and beverage expenditures. The fair is policed by the California Exposition and State Fair Police.
Expo 2016 was an international horticultural exposition held in Antalya, Turkey. Under the aegis of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Expo 2016 Antalya was the first International Horticultural Exhibition to be held in Turkey.
The Pima County Fair is a funfair that happens every year in Tucson, Arizona. The fair runs for 11 days in the month of April. It features live animal shows, concerts, carnival rides and vendors. Hundreds of local groups perform every year. The Pima County Fair is one of the most popular attractions in Tucson.
The Lancaster Event Center is a public non-profit fairgrounds-style event complex located in Lincoln, Nebraska owned and operated by the Lancaster County Agricultural Society. The Lancaster Event Center was originally built to provide a permanent home for the Lancaster County Fair and other community events. The Lancaster County Board supported the original two sets of bonds to build out the Lancaster Event Center first two phases and encouraged the Lancaster County Ag Society to keep the fairgrounds open for events year-round.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States.
The International Petroleum Exposition (IPE) was a specialized trade fair held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at varying intervals from 1923 to 1979. Its main purposes were to display the latest oil industry technology, sell equipment and services, and to educate industry workers and the general public about the production of oil.
