SALE CREEK, Tenn. — The Hamilton County Fair marks its 75th year when it opens Friday, Nov. 6, at McDonald Farm in Sale Creek, and this time the opening day doubles as the dedication of a brand-new Tennessee state park next door.
The fair runs three days and wraps up Sunday, Nov. 8. Country singer Rodney Atkins is the headline act on the music lineup. Other draws include a rodeo lumberjack show, pig races and carnival rides. Organizers say both the rides and parking will be free this year.
County Mayor Weston Wamp and Karen Shostak, deputy director of parks, said this week that the event finally feels like a tradition again after the pandemic years nearly ended it.
The new park is Angel’s Hollow State Park, the 70th in the state system. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced the name earlier this month and set the dedication to line up with the fair’s opening.
The park is built largely from county land: the state now holds about 1,305 acres that once belonged to McDonald Farm. Added to land the state already owned, the park will cover roughly 2,500 acres in the valley along the Hamilton and Rhea county line. Lawmakers put $45.3 million in the state budget for fiscal year 2027 to build it out.
The county is keeping more than 300 acres of the farm, including the historic homestead and the fairgrounds, and the park’s visitor center will sit in Sale Creek next to that land. State officials say Angel’s Hollow is the last of 14 state parks created under Gov. Bill Lee, the most for any one administration in Tennessee.
Section: More Chattanooga TN events news
Chattanooga events business profiles
Filed under: Chattanooga TN Events News
