Organized fairs and horse races began in this area in the 1890s. The Panhandle State Fair was organized in 1913, but large fairs were suspended from 1917 to 1921 because of World War I, and Amarillo was then chosen as the permanent home for a regional fair. In 1923, the Amarillo Tri-State Exposition was chartered with participants from Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas, and in 1924 the property on this site was purchased. The fair closed again in 1941 for World War II, and its reopening in 1947 drew record crowds. Its activities have included parades, automobile and horse races, livestock and agricultural exhibitions, technological demonstrations, music, sports, and an old settlers' day, and it hosts about 200,000 people annually.
