Neshoba County Fair
Neshoba County Fair
The Neshoba County Fair, nicknamed Mississippi's Giant House Party, is an annual event of farming, politics, and social fun held near Philadelphia, Mississippi. It began in 1889 and is the largest campground fair in the United States. The fair usually starts the last week of July and lasts a week.
The fair started as Coldwater Fair and grew from church camp meetings. Families began camping on the grounds for the week. In 1894 a pavilion and a hotel were built, cabins began replacing wagons and tents, and in 1898 the oak trees that shade Founder's Square were planted. Early cabins were simple one-story log and frame buildings.
A famous tradition is politicians speaking during election season; many state leaders and national figures have attended, including Ronald Reagan and John Glenn. Reagan's 1980 "states' rights" speech at the fair is a notable moment in political history.
The Fair District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The fair was not held in 1917–18, 1942–45, and 2020.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:59 (CET).