Name: Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair
Brand: Martha Rose Woodward
SKU: 9780738568355
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair

9780738568355

$24.99

When the world comes to Tennessee, the world is going to have a good time.

Once referred to as the "scruffy little city by the Tennessee River," Knoxville hosted the world's fair from May 1 through October 31, 1982, and provided one big party for people to visit from all over to witness the live entertainment, parades, displays, exhibits, musical and sporting events, food, costumes, rides, games, and arcades. Based on the theme "Energy Turns the World," Expo '82 was the first world's fair to be held in the southeastern United States in 97 years, hosting 22 countries and more than 11 million people. The news reports of the day declared the "World Came to Knoxville" as it hosted the official international exposition, fully licensed and sanctioned by the Bureau des Expositions Internationales in Paris, France.

Erie County Fair

9781467122061

$24.99

From its humble, pioneer beginnings to its current incarnation as the largest independent county fair in the United States, the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York, is a beloved western New York institution. Annually, over one million people flock to its historic fairgrounds located just south of Buffalo to celebrate agriculture, showcase time-honored traditions, keep the spirit of competition alive, and, most importantly, come together as a community. Through vintage photographs, Erie County Fair presents a visual narrative of the fair's history and stimulates cherished memories rooted in decades of excitement found at this annual summer gathering. The continuity of the American county fair spirit is most evident through these images from the archives of the Erie County Agricultural Society.

California State Fair

9780738580890

$24.99

Starting in San Francisco in 1854, the California State Fair and Exposition began as a vehicle to showcase, encourage, and expand California's agricultural industry. It quickly became an attraction for thousands of residents, both local and from across the state. By 1884, it occupied the largest exhibit hall in the United States. Within 100 years, it became the largest fair in the country by adding horse racing, elaborate exhibits from every county in the state and from around the world, thrill rides, top-flight entertainment, and, of course, the best food. The original goal of the fair was met some 50 years ago, as California remains the nation's top producer of agricultural products.

River Oaks

9781467162142

$24.99

The city of River Oaks, Texas, has always been defined by its people. With only 1.9 square miles of land, built up to over 90 percent, the city has little room for geographical expansion. Yet the city has thrived because of the resilient, pioneer spirit of the citizens who call River Oaks home.

From the early pioneer settlers who first farmed and settled the wild prairie to the modern-day citizens who work, play, and raise their families in the city, the people who call River Oaks home have exemplified a blue-collar, industrious, rebellious spirit that rebukes the more humdrum “bedroom community” label hung upon it by others. Many of the original families still have descendants living in the city whose streets bear their name. River Oaks boasts an International Motor Sports Hall of Fame member, several Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame members, an International Hot Rod Association Hall of Fame member, and an Olympian.

Darren Houk, an entrepreneur, has served as mayor and on the city council of River Oaks. Mark A. Nobles is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. The two have endeavored to tell the history of River Oaks through photographs from archives and personal collections as well as interviews with longtime residents and historians. This book is more than the story of a city, it is the story of the people who built and continue to give a thriving heartbeat to the city of River Oaks.

Cover image for River Oaks, isbn: 9781467162142

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival

9780738561844

$24.99

Chicago's North Michigan Avenue, known as The Magnificent Mile®, has a long and rich tradition of celebrating the holiday season in grand style. Today the illumination of this world-famous avenue with more than one million white lights is considered by many the official start of the holiday season. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival® draws some one million visitors each November. Millions more watch the televised broadcast. The development of North Michigan Avenue, known in its humble early days as Pine Street, and the creation of its holiday and tree-lighting traditions are largely attributed to a dedicated group of entrepreneurs and business leaders, known as the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association. Over the years, this line of visionary Chicagoans recognized the avenue's potential and committed to making North Michigan Avenue a world-class street with world-class holiday traditions. The North Michigan Avenue district now features 56 hotels, 275 restaurants, 460 retail locations, and numerous educational, cultural, and health care institutions--and more than 18 million visitors annually. It is one of the great avenues of the world, offering one of the most iconic holiday images when it is aglow.

Topsfield Fair

9780738512075

$24.99

The Topsfield Fair is the oldest agricultural fair in America. In 1818, men of Essex County formed the Essex Agricultural Society in Topsfield, Massachusetts, with Col. Timothy Pickering of Salem, a Revolutionary War hero, agriculturist, and elder statesman as president. The mission was to promote and share new and progressive methods of agriculture and to show cattle at an annual outing. For nearly a century, the fair was moved to various towns within the county until 1910, when it settled into its permanent home in Topsfield. For nearly two hundred years, the Topsfield Fair has attracted millions of people to witness a spectacular fall event rooted in agriculture but also filled with thrills and family entertainment. Many forms of horse, dog, motorcycle, and automobile racing over the years have garnered gate receipts to pay for premiums and permanent display buildings for the agricultural exhibitions. Exhibits range from home and farm products to horses, poultry, oxen, cattle, sheep, swine, goats, rabbits, bees, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and trees. Vaudeville, water follies, pageants, rodeos, thrilling acts and rides, singing stars, horse hitches, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the commercial and food establishments have always added to the atmosphere of the fair.

The Mississippi River Festival

9780738541327

$24.99

The Mississippi River Festival began as a partnership promoting regional cooperation in the realm of the performing arts, since expanding into a festival of legendary status.

In 1969, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville initiated a remarkable performing arts series called the Mississippi River Festival. Over 12 summer seasons, between 1969 and 1980, the festival presented 353 events showcasing performers in a variety of musical genres, including classical, chamber, vocal, ragtime, blues, folk, bluegrass, barbershop, country, and rock, as well as dance and theater. During those years, more than one million visitors flocked to the spacious Gyo Obata-designed campus in the countryside near St. Louis. The Mississippi River Festival began as a partnership promoting regional cooperation in the realm of the performing arts. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville invited the St. Louis Symphony to establish residence on campus and to offer a summer season. To host the symphony, the university created an outdoor concert venue within a natural amphitheater by installing a large circus tent, a stage and acoustic shell, and a sophisticated sound system. To appeal to the widest possible audience, the university included contemporary popular musicians in the series. The audacity of the undertaking, the charm of the venue, the popularity of the artists, the excellence of the performances, and the nostalgic memory of warm summer evenings have combined to endow the festival with legendary status among those who attended.

The Iowa State Fair: In Vintage Postcards

9780738540375

$24.99

Each August, the Iowa State Fairgrounds, home to America's quintessential state fair, becomes 400 acres of sights, sounds, and aromas. More than just a showcase for farm machinery, the fair has one of the world's largest livestock shows, hundreds of competitive events, first-class entertainment, and ever imaginable food-on-a-stick. The first Iowa State Fair, held in 1854 at Fairfield, drew 10,000 visitors, and attendance now tops one million each year. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has been held at its present location in Des Moines since 1886. In the early 1900s, fairgoers could choose from a large selection of postcards, stick on a penny stamp, and mail them to friends to describe their blue ribbon, an exciting midway ride, or the great entertainment. Over 190 vintage postcards provide glimpses of the fair from the 1890s to the mid-1950s in The Iowa State Fair.

The Iowa State Fair: In Vintage Postcards

Sparks

9781467126489

$24.99

In the late 1800s, the area now known as Sparks consisted of ranches and farms. It was not until the early 1900s that Sparks would become the sixth-largest city in Nevada, almost overnight. E.H. Harriman moved the Salt Lake Division of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Wadsworth to swampland four miles east of Reno, and that area would become Sparks. The railroad was the largest and most reliable employer for 54 years, before leaving in 1957. Some railroad employees were transferred and reassigned to jobs outside of Sparks, but many chose to stay. Employment was found in Nevada's thriving hospitality industry, including John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino. Sparks became a major distribution center for national companies like S.S. Kresge and Pacific Freeport, and many manufacturing companies opened after Nevada passed the right-to-work law in 1951. Sparks is now the fifth-largest city in Nevada.

The Mid-South Fair: Celebrating 150 Years

9780738542782

$24.99

Established in 1856 by the Shelby County Agricultural Society, the Mid-South Fair celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2006. Memphis, known as the cotton capital of the South, depended on agriculture for much of the 19th century, and the fair offered farmers and the general public a venue to learn of new products and to compete with others from the region. Through the Civil War, yellow fever epidemics, and two world wars, the fair has prevailed to become one of the largest in the nation. It has been a part of many lives and formed many memories of rides and rodeos, cotton candy and pronto pups, and that first big drop on the roller coaster. The Mid-South Fair: Celebrating 150 Years brings back those memories through words and photographs, taking the reader back to a time when excitement was only a ride away on an old wooden roller coaster.

The Mid-South Fair: Celebrating 150 Years

Erie County Fair

9781467117098

$24.99

During the mid-20th century, the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York, began a journey that transformed a traditional, agriculturally based fair into the largest independent county fair and exposition in the United States. As the number of fair days and exhibits expanded, so did the number of fairgoers, increasing gate attendance figures to over one million visitors annually. While fair traditions have provided continuity over the decades, the fair continues to evolve and renew itself through improvements to the fairgrounds, the addition of unique attractions, and an ongoing commitment to agriculture. Erie County Fair showcases the many dramatic changes that have taken place during the modern era of this fair. From the thrills of the midway and entertainment to nationally recognized agricultural, creative arts, and livestock competitions, the fair's history comes alive through color photographs from the archives of the Erie County Agricultural Society.

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

9780738502083

$24.99

For many cities and small towns across the South, agriculture has served, traditionally, as a backbone in shaping a community's economic and social identity. These annual harvests have provided both an environment of work
and play for its citizens, allowing people to meet, labor, and celebrate a year's bountiful output. As our nation moved into the twentieth century, many of these events were formalized by town governments and committees into largescale fairs and festivals, bringing adults and children from the surrounding areas into town to join in the celebrations. Winchester, with its long history in the apple-growing industry, chose to honor the beauty and bounty of the apple blossom, beginning in the year 1924 and continuing to the present, and has seen their festival grow in size, extravagance, and national acclaim. In this volume of over 150 images, many never before published, you will
experience the festivities from its inception to the present, seeing the early floats, parades of children and firemen, the massive colorful and inventive pageants, and the men and women devoted to making the festival a success. Not simply a pictorial history, Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival captures the spirit, optimism, and general excitement of the festival, which has kept the event popular for over 70 years with a wide variety of people: from the common person to those "stars" who served as grand marshals, such as Bob
Hope, James Cagney, Ed Sullivan, and Bing Crosby.

Texas Sesquicentennial Wagon Train

9780738584881

$24.99

In 1986, the Texas Sesquicentennial Wagon Train joined the 150th birthday celebration that commemorated the state's independence from Mexico. The wagon train followed a jagged 3,000-mile circle around the state to bring it within approximately 100 miles of every town or city in Texas. The six-month schedule began January 2, 1986, in Sulphur Springs and was followed so closely that each town or city knew the exact day the wagon train would arrive and could make plans for welcoming it with local events. Some folks traveled the entire route; others joined for a day or a week. A total of 10,000 riders from 27 states traveled at least a part of the way during the six months. While people and wagons came and went, a core group of participants and support staff completed the entire trip, arriving at the Fort Worth Stockyards on July 3, 1986, for a final celebration.

Texas Citrus Fiesta

9781467131544

$24.99

The Texas Citrus Fiesta has remained an exciting celebration since its beginnings in 1932. At that time, Mission civic leaders decided to promote the citrus industry through a festival featuring decorated streets and store windows, a parade, coronation of a king and queen, a court with ladies-in-waiting, a queen's ball, exhibits for citrus growers, and a variety of contests and activities. Social leaders, working through their clubs, added a style show of costumes covered with fruit, vegetable, and flower pieces. Children marched in their own unique parade. The Golden Grapefruit Golf Tournament was added in 1934. Today, directors of the Texas Citrus Fiesta continue these traditional events and others added since 1932. The creativity inspired by the festival, the recognition of regional participants, and the experienced planning needed to accommodate thousands of residents and visitors combine to make Mission's annual Texas Citrus Fiesta a premier event in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Loudoun County Fair

9781467123563

$24.99

Dating back to 1936, the Loudoun County Fair has been a place for the community to celebrate the agriculture of the area. Established for 4-H members to have a fair of their own, the Loudoun County Fair has provided a place, along with volunteers and the support of the community, for the children to exhibit their animals, home economics projects, and produce. After moving from Purcellville to Middleburg and then to Lincoln, the fair found a permanent home in 1956 on donated land in the Clarke's Gap area of Loudoun County. Since the 1957 fair, a livestock auction has been added, an auditorium has been built, and new barns have been erected. Take a step back, slow down, and enjoy the history and beauty of one of Loudoun's longest-running events, the Loudoun County Fair.

North Carolina Rhododendron Festival

9781467123419

$24.99

Deep in the heart of the southern Appalachian Mountains lies Roan Mountain, the second-highest peak east of the Mississippi and home to one of the most breathtaking, naturally recurring phenomenon in the world: 600 acres of Catawba rhododendron that bloom each year in mid-June. In an effort to promote tourism and draw attention to this area, North Carolina and Tennessee joined together to form the Rhododendron Festival in 1946. As attendance increased, it soon became necessary for each state to hold a separate festival, and in 1952, the first North Carolina Rhododendron Festival took place. Since then, Bakersville, a village nestled at the base of Roan Mountain, has hosted the North Carolina Rhododendron Festival. Visitors and locals gather to pay homage to one of nature's most magnificent wonders. After nearly seven decades, the festival continues to hold the distinction of being among the oldest and most respected festivals in the Southeast, confirming its potential to endure as long as the mountain itself.

The Romeo Peach Festival

9780738540597

$24.99

In 1813, Michael Bowerman built a cabin two miles south of what later became Romeo. Bowerman carried a small number of peach pits from his father's farm in New York, introducing the popular fruit to Macomb County and establishing the roots of today's Westview Orchards. In 1931, hoping for an economic boost, area orchard managers convinced village president Edward Jacob to create a festival. Jacob embraced the idea and traveled to northern Michigan to study the Michigan Cherry Festival in Traverse City. Upon his return, the first annual peach festival was held with much success with the cooperation of local merchants. Held on Labor Day weekend in Romeo, and called the Romeo Peach Festival by the locals, the Michigan Peach Festival has been sponsored by the Lions Club since 1951 and is the second-oldest festival in the state. In honor of the 75th anniversary, a collection of over 200 photographs has been assembled, including images of Peach Queens, the Floral Parade, and the surrounding orchards.

Arizona State Fair, The

9781467125208

$24.99

The diverse and glorious story of the Arizona State Fair is vividly portrayed here with images from the territorial days to the present. The state fairgrounds occupy 80 acres in the heart of Phoenix, and neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places surround it on all four sides. From illuminating the abundance of agricultural and mineral riches prior to statehood to administering programs during the Great Depression and from providing a facility for defense during World War II to being a magnificent resource for Hurricane Katrina evacuees, the fair, which is in its 112th year of existence, and its fairgrounds have always mattered to Arizonans.

Kansas State Fair

9781467112222

$24.99

The rich history of the Kansas State Fair comes to life in Images of America: Kansas State Fair through photographs from the 1860s to the present. The fair first opened its gates to visitors in 1863 and welcomed all to behold the "Pride of Kansas" until its untimely demise in 1875. In 1913, the Kansas Legislature revived the fair and selected the city of Hutchinson as the exposition's permanent home. Centrally located, Hutchinson has proved an ideal setting. Every year during September, hundreds of thousands of fairgoers flock to the grounds to compete in agricultural or livestock competitions, sell their wares, seek out thrills on the midway amusements, or learn more about the state and its resources. Whatever their motives, all fairgoers leave with a sense of fulfillment.

The Maryland State Fair: Celebrating 125 Years

9780738542706

$24.99

According to Gov. Robert L. Ehrich Jr., "[The Maryland State
Fair] is an annual opportunity as Marylanders to come together to celebrate the history, tradition, and charm of our State during the best days of summer." The Maryland State Fair has continued the tradition of delighting Marylanders near and far since the late 1800s. Hosting governors to 4-H'ers, farm animals to farm hands, home arts to computer arts, the fair has always promised something for everyone. Fair favorites such as the sweet, intoxicating scent of warm cotton candy and the heartthundering excitement and majesty of Thoroughbred racing were as much a part of the Maryland State Fair 125 years ago as they are today. Readers can find it all in The Maryland State Fair: Celebrating 125 Years.

The Maryland State Fair: Celebrating 125 Years

Alameda County Fair

9780738581934

$24.99

What began as a ranching family's Sunday pastime of horse racing, with cheering crowds and thundering hooves on dusty roads, would give way to the Alameda County Fair that we know today. The Bernal family built the original racetrack in 1859 on their 52,000-acre ranch, which was part of the Northern California land grant, Rancho Valle de San Jose. Looking to turn his newly acquired racetrack into profit, businessman Rodney G. MacKenzie approached a group of county businessmen and ranchers with a proposal to hold a county fair on his property. The first Alameda County Fair ran from October 23 to October 27, 1912. Local leaders sought to form a modern fair, and in 1939 the Alameda County Fair Association was established. Once considered a racing fair, the Alameda County Fair now boasts livestock and agriculture. For young and old alike, the thrilling carnival rides, beautiful quilt exhibits, baking contests, fast-paced horse racing, or just a corn dog and cotton candy provide something for everyone, as the Alameda County Fair now prepares to celebrate its 100th year.

Lake Forest Day

9780738552491

$24.99

The first Lake Forest Day in 1908 included a hot air balloon ascension, a cutest baby contest, a mind-reading dog, and a vaudeville show. Proceeds from this event, organized by the Lake Forest Woman's Club, funded the Contagious Hospital, which eventually merged into Lake Forest Hospital. American Legion Post 264 took over in 1921 and has maintained this extraordinary tradition ever since. This annual celebration has changed over the years to reflect local interests, national events, and even cultural shifts. With the advent of World War II, the themes became patriotic, such as "Home Defense," "Prelude to Victory," and "On to Tokyo." Lake Forest Day, held on the first Wednesday of August, continues to inspire civic pride. This book represents a fascinating look at Lake Forest in 1908 and the century thereafter, as parades, carnivals, and contests energized community spirit.

St. Ignace Car Culture

9780738584393

$24.99

St. Ignace hosted its first car show in 1976 as part of the bicentennial celebration. Over the years, the annual gathering has grown into one of the largest collector-vehicle events in the country. This lakeside community overlooking the mighty Mackinac Bridge and historic Mackinac Island boasts a spectacular waterfront--the perfect backdrop for a stunning array of eye-catching vehicles. In the early years, media referred to this show as "dessert." As the numbers of participants and attendees grew, it became known as the "main course." For teenagers growing up in the 1950s it was all new--cruisin', drive-ins, drag strips, the country's intense love affair with the automobile, and the birth of rock 'n roll. Over 34 years, the St. Ignace Car Show has brought hundreds of automotive legends to town, and car-show traffic set crossing records on the Mackinac Bridge that are unlikely ever to be broken. So fire up the hot rod and cruise back to a simpler time . . . all these cars and still no traffic light!

Missouri State Fair

9780738582610

$24.99

The Missouri State Fair has represented the best of Missouri's agriculture and industry since its commencement in 1901. Developed during the Progressive Era, a time of social reform, its early exhibits reflected an interest in scientific agriculture as a means of improving rural life. School exhibits highlighted new attitudes about teaching. In 1921, Missouri celebrated its centennial at the state fair. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the fair encouraged good nutrition and medical care through its healthy baby contests. During World Wars I and II, it promoted patriotism with parades of military recruits. The grounds, originally 160 acres with 19 buildings, are now 396 acres with 124 buildings reflecting changing architectural styles.

The Suffolk Peanut Festival

9780738516530

$24.99

With the popularity of P.T. Barnum's circus and America's game-baseball-peanuts became the snack food of the people across the country in the late 1800s. Sold hot from a roaster to the cries of "Peanuts, get your hot peanuts here," this popular snack soon became a valuable cash crop. The farmland around Suffolk, Virginia was perfect for growing goobers, and the town was soon known as the "World's Greatest Peanut Market."

Suffolk's peanut star was already on the rise when an Italian immigrant named Amedeo Obici moved his chocolate and nut operation, Planters Peanuts, to town in 1913 to be in the heart of peanut country. Three years later, Mr. Peanut was born in Suffolk. The success of the goober gave the community cause to celebrate, and it did so on the first large-scale basis in 1941 with the National Peanut Festival and Exposition, complete with a parade and queen. Today the Suffolk Peanut Fest carries on the legume's legacy. More than 200,000 people attend the fete each fall to enjoy family entertainment and pay homage to the humble peanut.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®

9781467117197

$24.99

From its humble beginning in 1972 when 13 hot-air balloons ascended from an Albuquerque shopping center parking lot to a stunning annual gathering of 500-plus aeronauts, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta lives on as the most-photographed air show on the planet. As you page through this book, imagine yourself going along for the ride and soaring to new heights. Or if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, imagine yourself strolling among hundreds of swaying giants, seemingly lost in a dizzying kaleidoscope of color. Join in the camaraderie that draws pilots and fans to Albuquerque from all over the world. You will find yourself mesmerized by the Balloon Fiesta's signature events and its spirited competition among hot-air balloon pilots. As an added attraction, step back in time to when hydrogen-gas balloons once graced Albuquerque skies and enjoy the fascinating world of silent flight, the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®

Indio's Date Festival

9781467134255

$24.99

Since the turn of the 20th century, Southern California's Coachella Valley has embraced a unique crop: the date. As success with the fruit grew, so too did regional celebrations of it. Beginning in 1921, the City of Indio hosted a Festival of Dates, an event that became the annual National Date Festival in 1947. The area linked itself to the date's birthplace, the Greater Middle East, in multiple ways, but the festival drew national attention to Indio's use of these Arabian fantasies. Attendees celebrated the fair's camel races, Arabian Nights musical pageant, Middle Eastern architecture, Queen Scheherazade pageant, and the costumes worn by boosters and visitors alike. While the United States' political and pop-cultural relationship to the region changed over time, the Eastern Coachella Valley continued to embrace fantasies of the Middle East at its fair.