Amarillo Tri-State Fair
Amarillo, Potter County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A number of organized fairs and horse races occurred in this area beginning in the 1890s. The Panhandle State Fair was organized in 1913, but due to World War I large fairs were suspended from 1917 to 1921, when Amarillo was chosen as a permanent home for a regional fair. In 1923 the Amarillo Tri-State Exposition was chartered with participants from Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. In 1924 the property on this site was purchased. The fair was closed again in 1941 for the second World War; its 1947 reopening drew record crowds. Fair activities have included parades, automobile and horse races, livestock and agricultural exhibitions, technological demonstrations, music, sports, and an old settlers' day. The fair hosts about 200,000 people annually. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized fairs and horse races drew crowds to the Amarillo area as early as the 1890s, and the Panhandle State Fair took shape in 1913 before World War I suspended it. Amarillo was chosen as the permanent home for a regional fair in 1921, and the Amarillo Tri-State Exposition was chartered in 1923 with participants from Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Interrupted again by World War II, it reopened to record crowds in 1947 and now draws roughly 200,000 visitors a year.
Why it matters
The fair reflects the enduring role of agricultural expositions in binding rural communities together and celebrating the ranching and farming life of the Southern Plains.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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