How Tennessee County Fairs and Youth Livestock Shows Work
Tennessee's youth livestock season runs nearly all year. Local county fairs sit alongside a set of statewide junior shows run by UT Extension, with the Wilson County-Tennessee State Fair in Lebanon as the late-summer centerpiece. Your county Extension office or FFA advisor handles entries, so most exhibitors never mail a form directly to a show. Dates and rules change every year, so treat the examples below as a starting point and confirm with your agent or advisor before you load a trailer.
2026 County and State Fair Dates
These 2026 dates come from a Tennessee tourism fair roundup published in April 2026, which says dates should be confirmed on each fair's website:
- Anderson County Fair, Clinton: July 13 to 18
- Bedford County Fair, Shelbyville: July 13 to 18
- Greene County Fair, Greeneville: July 20 to 25
- Putnam County Agricultural and Industrial Fair, Cookeville: July 30 to August 8
- Williamson County Fair, Franklin: August 7 to 15
- Wilson County-Tennessee State Fair, Lebanon: August 13 to 22
- Cumberland County Fair, Crossville: August 17 to 22
- Obion County Fair, Union City: August 24 to 29
- Claiborne County Fair, Tazewell: August 31 to September 5
- Sevier County Fair, Sevierville: September 1 to 7
- Tennessee Valley Fair, Knoxville: September 11 to 20
- Middle Tennessee District Fair, Lawrenceburg: September 24 to October 3
A West Tennessee fair list adds Benton County (Camden, August 3 to 8), Decatur County (Parsons, August 18 to 22), Henry County (Paris, August 21 to 29), Hardin County (Savannah, August 28 to September 5), Gibson County (Trenton, August 31 to September 5) and Dyer County (Dyersburg, September 7 to 12).
The Tennessee State Fair
The fair moved from Nashville to Lebanon in 2019 and is held at the Wilson County Fairgrounds, per the tourism roundup above. In 2026 it ran August 13 to 22. UT Extension schedules two junior shows there: the Tennessee State Junior Meat Goat Show on August 14 and 15, with goat shows starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the Tennessee Junior Sheep Expo, which opened for arrival Wednesday, August 12. The Market Animal Grand Champion Drive was set for Saturday, August 15 at 6 p.m. No animal may enter the barns until its health certificate has been checked.
The Statewide Junior Show Calendar
UT's youth livestock program page lists these 2026 shows:
- State Junior Swine Show: January 8 to 10, Hyder-Burks Pavilion, Cookeville
- Knoxville Spring Junior Cattle Show: May 1 to 2, Appalachian Fairgrounds, Gray
- State 4-H Horse Show: June 23 to 27, National Walking Horse Celebration Grounds, Shelbyville
- State Junior Dairy Show: October 9 to 10, Wilson County Fairgrounds, Lebanon
The 2026 Beef Expo handbook puts the Tennessee Junior Livestock Expo Beef Expo at the Wilson County Fairgrounds on July 9 to 11, 2026.
Who Can Show
The same eligibility language appears in the beef, goat, sheep, swine and dairy handbooks. 4-H members must be enrolled in 4th grade or later, and FFA members must have been enrolled in agriculture education courses on January 1 of the show year. Eligibility ends at the earlier of the end of the calendar year of high school graduation or the end of the calendar year of the 20th birthday. Exhibitors must be supervised by an Extension agent or FFA advisor and hold Tennessee Youth Quality Assurance (TYQA) certification. Showmanship divisions are set by grade on January 1: Explorer (4th), Junior Level I (5th to 6th), Junior Level II (7th to 8th), Senior Level I (9th to 10th) and Senior Level II (11th to 12th).
Ownership Deadlines
- Market steers (900 pounds or more): owned and in your continuous possession by February 7; prospect steers and heifers by May 1 (2026 Beef Expo handbook)
- Goats: June 1, with leases in place by then (2026 goat handbook)
- Registered dairy cows and heifers: July 1; grade dairy heifers September 1 (2026 dairy handbook)
- Sheep: July 15 in the 2024 sheep handbook, so check the current one
- Swine: November 1 in the 2023 swine handbook, so check the current one
Tagging and Health Papers
Every steer and heifer needs an 840-RFID tag and a matching tattoo, with tagging supervised by an agent or advisor. Beef steers must attend one of five regional tagging days; the 2026 sites were Blountville, Paris, Franklin, Knoxville and Erin. Market goats and commercial does carry TJLE tags, and registered does need a tattoo that matches the registration paper. Swine need an 840-RFID tag and an ear notch. Animals that arrive without the original UT Animal Science ear tags will not show.
Every animal needs a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection dated within 90 days of the show, and official identification is required for the certificate to be valid. Sheep and goats need a scrapie tag or an official breed tattoo. Sick animals can be quarantined or sent home.
Weights, Limits and Fees
- Beef: no minimum steer weight; 3 steers and 4 commercial heifers maximum; $10 per head
- Goats: 30-pound minimum on show day; 8 goats per exhibitor; $10 per head
- Sheep: 4 commercial ewes and 4 market lambs; $8 per head in the 2024 handbook
- Swine: up to 12 entered and 6 shown, declared weights, hogs more than 15 pounds off declared weight dismissed (2023 handbook)
- Dairy: entries due to UT Animal Science by August 1, maximum 2 animals per class
Weights do not get a second chance: no reweighs after an animal leaves the scale. Animals can be drug tested at any time, and refusing a test means disqualification.
Practical Tips
- Call your county Extension office in the fall, before you buy, and ask for the tagging days.
- Finish TYQA certification early.
- Keep entry forms complete. Missing signatures from exhibitor, parent and agent or advisor mean the entry is returned.
- Write down tag numbers and keep the health certificate in the truck.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Tennessee State Fair held?
At the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, where it moved from Nashville in 2019.
How do I enter a state junior show?
Entries go through your local UT Extension office, with signatures from you, a parent or guardian and your agent or FFA advisor.
How old is too old to show?
You age out at the end of the calendar year you graduate high school or turn 20, whichever comes first.
Do I need a vet certificate?
Yes, dated within 90 days of the show.
Tennessee Listings Covered by This Guide
- Tennessee Association of Fairs Annual Meeting and Convention
County and regional fair managers meet at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro for the Tennessee Association of Fairs convention, scheduled for January 14-16, 2027.
1200 Conference Center Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN | Organizer: Tennessee Association of Fairs Official event details - Anderson County Fair
Anderson County Fair in Clinton, July 13-18, 2026, with 4-H and open exhibits at the fairgrounds on Nave Street; ranked in the state's top fair division.
218 Nave St, Clinton, TN 37716 Official event details - Bedford County Fair
Six-day Bedford County Fair at the county fairgrounds on Midland Road in Shelbyville, July 13-18, 2026,.
2119 Midland Road, Shelbyville, TN 37160 | 931-684-0760 Official event details - Greene County Fair
Six-day family agricultural fair at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Greeneville, billed as the 76th edition with more than 30,000 visitors expected. The fair dates back to 1949.
123 Fairgrounds Cir, Greeneville, TN 37745 | Organizer: Greene County Fair Association Official event details - Benton County Fair
Benton County Fair at the fairgrounds on Natchez Trace Road in Camden, August 3-8, 2026; recognized as a state champion fair in its division for 2025.
- Wilson County Fair - Tennessee State Fair
The Wilson County Fair also serves as the Tennessee State Fair, held at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon. The most recent run was August 13-22, 2026, with forestry as the 2026 featured agriculture theme.
- Cumberland County Fair
Cumberland County Fair in Crossville, held August 17-22, 2026, with 4-H, livestock and community exhibits at the county fairgrounds.
Crossville, TN Official event details - Giles County Fair
Six-day regional agricultural fair run by the Pulaski Lions Club at the Giles County Agriculture Park. Admission is $5 excluding carnival rides; children 6 and under get in free and parking is free.
2030 Elkton Pike, Pulaski, TN 38478 | Organizer: Pulaski Lions Club Official event details - Decatur County Fair
Decatur County Fair in Parsons, Tuesday August 18 through Saturday August 22, 2026, .
Parsons, TN Official event details - Henry County Fair
Nine-day county fair in Paris in late August 2026, ahead of the Obion and Hardin County fairs.
Paris, TN Official event details - Obion County Fair
Obion County Fair in Union City, scheduled for Monday August 24 through Saturday August 29, 2026, with a week of agricultural exhibits and entertainment.
Union City, TN Official event details - Appalachian Fair
The Appalachian Fair is held each year in Gray, Tennessee, with a 4-H component. The most recent dates on the University of Tennessee 4-H calendar were August 24-29, 2026.
Gray, TN | Organizer: Appalachian Fair Official event details - Hardin County Fair
Nine-day county fair in Savannah spanning the end of August into early September 2026, held the same week the Gibson County Fair opens in neighboring Trenton.
Savannah, TN Official event details - Claiborne County Fair
Claiborne County Fair in Tazewell, scheduled for August 31 to September 5, 2026,.
Tazewell, TN Official event details - Gibson County Fair
Week-long county fair in Trenton running Monday through Saturday at the start of September 2026, part of the West Tennessee fair circuit alongside the Henry, Hardin and Dyer County fairs.
Trenton, TN Official event details - Delta Fair
Memphis hosts the Delta Fair each fall. The most recent dates were September 4-13, 2026, in Shelby County.
Memphis, TN | Organizer: Delta Fair Official event details - Dyer County Fair
Dyer County Fair in Dyersburg, September 7-12, 2026, a long-running fair that dates to 1869.
Dyersburg, TN Official event details - Tennessee Valley Fair
Ten-day Knoxville fair with livestock exhibits and midway attractions, founded in 1916. The 2026 run is set for mid-September, a week later than the 2025 dates of Sept. 5-14.
Knoxville, TN Official event details - West Tennessee State Fair
West Tennessee State Fair in Henderson, October 16-25, 2026, a ten-day autumn fair.
Henderson, TN Official event details - Dyersburg Food Fair
Seasonal food fair held in church parking lots in Dyersburg, Dyer County, for West Tennessee growers.
Dyersburg, TN - Martin Area Food Fair
Martin market in Weakley County open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, June through October.
Main Street, Martin, TN
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.