The event is free and everyone is invited. The event will be held at Market Square & Krutch Park and at Clinch & Gay Streets in Downtown Knoxville on Saturday August 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Special highlights include:

• Free admission to the Museum of East Tennessee History including Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee and In the Footsteps of Sergeant York exhibitions, plus the Streetscape with Streetcar 409 and Corner Drug Store, c. 1920-1930. This year marks the celebration of 25 years of the Museum of East Tennessee History and the 10 year anniversary of the Voices of the Land exhibit. Artifact donors, living historians, and collections experts will offer special tours and discussions throughout the museum.

• Antiques Fair—downtown Knoxville’s only antiques fair with vendors offering a wide variety of primitives, antiques, and tabletop items, sponsored by Case Antiques and Building Systems Technology, Inc.

• WDVX Music Stage featuring Jimbo Whaley and Greenbrier, Russ and Becky Jeffers, The Travelin’ Caudells, David West and the Cider Mountain Boys, and the Andersons among others

• Living History Timeline—spanning the region’s history from the Cherokee to Vietnam War

• Abraham Lincoln and wife Mary Todd and other historical characters will roam the crowd

• More than sixty historical and genealogical societies representing county, regional, and state organizations from across the region

• “History Hound” Dog Costume Contest—guests are invited to bring their pets to Krutch Park dressed as their favorite historical character. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., and the contest begins at 10:15. Celebrity judges will award fabulous prizes, courtesy of PetSafe for “Best Costume” and “Most East Tennessee Spirit.”

• Tours of Old Knoxville High, an important Knoxville landmark meticulously renovated and restored to honor its role in shaping Knoxville

• Army vs. Navy WWI baseball game at the old Bill Myers Stadium field, with the first pitch thrown out by Retired Army Col. Gerald York, grandson of Sgt. Alvin C. York

• “Old Fashioned Tennessee Checkers Skirmish” sponsored by Mast General Store

• Book sales by Friends of the Knox County Library featuring history-themed books for children and adults

• An enlarged children’s activity area in the Regions Bank parking lot with special crafts, games, and storytelling by the “King of The Wild Frontier,” Davy Crockett, along with a birthday party with cake for Davy’s 232nd birthday

• WDVX’s “Kidstuff” music show with Sean McCullough

• Live recording of the “Cutting Class Podcast”

• Craft demonstrations--spinning, quilting, tinsmithing, raku pottery, woodworking, chair caning, basket making, natural fibers, clay work, lye soap making, primitive handmade items, and more

• Jump on the Historic Homes Bus for tours of downtown’s historic homes and museums, including free admission at Blount Mansion, James White’s Fort, Mabry Hazen House, Bethel Cemetery, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Old Knoxville High, and the WWI baseball game at the old Bill Myers Stadium field

• Open House with free tours of the Tennessee Theatre and vintage films by the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound—featuring films on Patricia Neal, John Ward, desegregation of the Tennessee Theatre, A Face in the Crowd with Andy Griffith, and more

• Walking tour with Knoxville Walking Tours on “Misbehaving Women”

• Join the Suffrage Coalition for the unveiling of the name plaques on the Burn Memorial with an ice cream social to celebrate and remarks at 10:50 a.m. at the memorial

• Meet the authors book sales and signings

• Walking tour with Jack Neely to South Knoxville and Suttree Landing

• Art Market Gallery will feature a memorial show of the works of Marjorie Horne with sales benefitting the Community School for the Arts

• Market Square Farmers Market

• Home style food, food trucks, burgers, kettle corn, and barbeque!

The 2018 East Tennessee History Fair is sponsored by Knoxville CBID, The Tennessee Arts Commission, Seven Islands Foundation, Mast General Store, City of Knoxville, WDVX, WBIR, WUOT, Comcast, Lamar Advertising, KANA Group, Hyatt Place Knoxville/Downtown, Regions Bank, Case Antiques, Building Systems Technology, Inc., PetSafe, and Food City. For more information on the History Fair, please visit www.easttnhistory.org/eastTNhistoryfair.


About ETHS
Established in 1834, the East Tennessee Historical Society is one of the most active history organizations in the state and enjoys a national reputation for excellence in programming, teacher and student education, and exhibitions. For 184 years the East Tennessee Historical Society has been helping East Tennesseans hold on to our unique heritage - recording the events, collecting the artifacts, and saving the stories that comprise the history we all share.

The historical society pursues its educational mission through publications, lectures, conferences, school programs, museum exhibits, and heritage programs such as the popular “First Families of Tennessee” and “Civil War Families of Tennessee.” The East Tennessee Historical Society and Museum are housed in the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, across from the Tennessee Theatre. Also located in the center are the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection and the Knox County Archives.