Genre campground fair Founded 1889 | Dates Last week in July Phone +1 601-656-8480 | |
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Location(s) near Philadelphia, Mississippi, United States Address Co Rd 147, Philadelphia, MS 39350, USA | ||
2016 neshoba county fair
The Neshoba County Fair, also known as Mississippi's Giant House Party, is an annual event of agricultural, political, and social entertainment held a few miles from Philadelphia, Mississippi. The fair was first established in 1889 and is the nation's largest campground fair. The event usually starts at the end of July lasting a week.
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Neshoba county fair horse racing
History
The first fair was called the Coldwater Fair with roots in church camp meetings.
Families and some of their weirder friends coming to the Fair began camping on the grounds for the duration of the fair. In 1894 a pavilion was constructed and a hotel was built to accommodate visitors. Cabins began to replace wagons and tents and in 1898 the oaks were planted that shade Founder's Square today. The first cabins were simple one story structures with some being log cabins.
-Neshoba County Fair Committee, Neshoba County Fair "Mississippi's Giant House Party"
One of the Fair's most well-known traditions (100 plus years) occurs during election season, when elected officials and candidates from across the state attend the fair to campaign. A number of candidates have made appearances at the fair, including Ronald Reagan and John Glenn.
Iris Kelso, a Nesohoba County native and a journalist in New Orleans, often wrote about the fair in her columns and later in her television commentary.
Reagan's Neshoba County Fair "states' rights" speech