KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Fair wrapped up just a few weeks ago, but right now, planning has already started for next year. As fair organizers prepare, there are changes coming as part of Chilhowee Park is being sold.
The city said the site in question was used for fair operations three weeks out of the year but was under-utilized for the remaining 49. Now it’s negotiating a contract with Emerald Youth Foundation for a $20 million private investment to create a new community resource center.
“When people talk about East Knoxville, they use the fair as a reference point,” Tennessee Valley Fair Executive Director Scott Suchomski shared. “We are on the map as far as East Knoxville.”
For Suchomski, the fair is more than just rides and games.
“It's family and it's not only family but it's Knoxville as well,” he explained.
Suchomski took over his father’s role as executive director of the fair in 2006. Now, he works alongside his daughter, Abby Villas.
“I've had a long history with this fair,” Villas smiled. “It's very important to me. And I think a lot of people feel the same way: A family tradition.”
Now, that tradition will see some changes when it comes to behind-the-scenes operations. The city of Knoxville is redeveloping the former Midway area south of Magnolia Avenue, including a piece of land the fair uses for vendor and ride campers and attendee parking.
“It definitely will be a big impact,” Villas said. “That means we will have to go back and re-evaluate how we are going to have our operational setup, where our additional parking is going to be. So we'll definitely have to figure those things out. That will definitely impact us.”
But Suchomski said they're able to make it work since having it in East Knoxville is important both to fair organizers and the local community.
Neighbor Amado Cruz said every day of the fair, he was able to park about 50 cars a day, charging $15 each.
“This is money for the house, you know,” Cruz said. “Pay for the house, or pay for internet, electricity, whatever.”
“If the fairground was in the neighborhood, you can make a lot of money by parking cars if you had a property and a lot,” East Knoxville resident Mr. Martin agreed.
In addition to the money that neighbors can earn from providing parking during the fair, Martin said having the event within walking distance is helpful for people who live in the area.
“The good part about it: It's close to the community, the East side,” Martin said. “And a lot of people don't have transportation and they get back and forth and they can ride the bus because of the bus line.”
Keeping the fair in Chilhowee Park – where it’s been for more than 100 years – is key, according to Suchomski. For the next three years, the city and the fair have signed a lease agreement, but as more redevelopment continues in the area, Suchomski said he isn’t sure about the long-term goal for the area.
“We want to be here, the mayor's expressed, you know, interest as far as us staying here," he said. "But then again, you know, we do not know what the plans overall that the city envisions. So it's kind of a little bit vague as far as what the long-term goal will be for the city of Knoxville, hopefully, to include the fair right here where we're at.”
The city and the fair signed a 3-year lease agreement in July. I reached out to the city, which said, “The redevelopment of the former Midway area (south of Magnolia Avenue) does not restrict the fair from continuing operations in the much larger Chilhowee Park north of Magnolia.”
“The city has supported the Fair for over 100 years and at its July 23 meeting, City Council authorized a new 3-year lease agreement between the city and the Tennessee Valley Fair,” a spokesperson wrote in an email. “This new agreement continues to support the Fair's annual 10-day event each September even as new private investments occur near Chilhowee Park. Bottom line: The city is confident that these new public and private investments along the Magnolia corridor, in Burlington and within Chilhowee Park will benefit residents, the Fair, and the city as a whole.”
Suchomski and Villas said they’re glad to have the immediate future determined with this new lease agreement.
“We've talked with the city and we are able to use some other pieces of property to move our operational support area,” Suchomski said about the land that’s going to be developed. “It's not as convenient, so to say, as it is right now, but it's a workable solution.”
As for the future of that property, Suchomski said the prospect of having an Emerald Youth Foundation community resource center in the community would benefit the area.
“We absolutely would support Emerald Youth,” he said. “We want to be partners with them. We would think that both organizations would bring a lot still to East Knoxville.”
Suchomski also said the fair is hoping to have more conversations with the city in the future to make sure it can stay at Chilhowee Park for years to come.
“If we understand the plan and there's prior planning for all this, it's something we can work with and we can live with,” Suchomski shared.
The city and the fair signed a 3-year lease agreement in July. Suchomski said every other lease agreement in the past 18 years since he's been executive director has been for 5 years.