Fairs | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/fairs/RSS feed for FairsenFri, 30 Jan 2026 15:59:01 +0000Ten of the Most Exciting Ways to Commemorate America's 250th This Yearhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/ten-of-the-most-exciting-ways-to-commemorate-americas-250th-this-year-180988106/Our country’s birthday bash includes exhibitions, historical reenactments, a massive potluck and moreFri, 30 Jan 2026 15:59:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/ten-of-the-most-exciting-ways-to-commemorate-americas-250th-this-year-180988106/For This Prize-Winning Swedish Weaver in California, Craft Was Intertwined With Culture—and Cookieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/for-this-prize-winning-swedish-weaver-in-california-craft-was-intertwined-with-culture-and-cookies-180987369/Valborg “Mama” Gravander helped build a community based on her heritage and skill. A piece of her legacy is now on display at the Smithsonian’s Renwick GalleryFri, 19 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/for-this-prize-winning-swedish-weaver-in-california-craft-was-intertwined-with-culture-and-cookies-180987369/How Life-Size Cows Made of Butter Became an Iconic Symbol of the Midwesthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-life-size-cows-made-of-butter-became-an-iconic-symbol-of-the-midwest-180987208/The Iowa State Fair has featured a bovine butter sculpture for more than 100 years. Now, the tradition is part of the new “State Fairs” exhibition at the Renwick GalleryWed, 20 Aug 2025 16:15:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-life-size-cows-made-of-butter-became-an-iconic-symbol-of-the-midwest-180987208/This Rare Gold Medal From the 1904 Olympics Sold for More Than $500,000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-gold-medal-1904-olympics-sold-more-than-500000-180985877/The artifact, from the first Games held in the United States, reaped the third-highest price ever fetched for an Olympic medal at auctionThu, 23 Jan 2025 16:26:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-gold-medal-1904-olympics-sold-more-than-500000-180985877/How the 1904 Marathon Became One of the Weirdest Olympic Events of All Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-1904-marathon-became-one-of-the-weirdest-olympic-events-of-all-time-14910747/Athletes drank poison, dodged traffic, stole peaches and even hitchhiked during the 24.85-mile race in St. LouisTue, 07 Aug 2012 13:48:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-1904-marathon-became-one-of-the-weirdest-olympic-events-of-all-time-14910747/Archaeologists Discover 19th-Century Chocolate Factory in Barcelonahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-have-discovered-a-lauded-1800s-chocolate-factory-in-barcelona-180983807/Housed in a medieval mansion, the workshop once produced sweets for Clemente Guardia, a thriving Catalonian chocolatierTue, 20 Feb 2024 21:16:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-have-discovered-a-lauded-1800s-chocolate-factory-in-barcelona-180983807/The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fairhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-surprisingly-radical-roots-of-the-renaissance-fair-180982918/The first of these festivals debuted in the early 1960s, serving as a prime example of the United States' burgeoning countercultureThu, 28 Sep 2023 15:21:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-surprisingly-radical-roots-of-the-renaissance-fair-180982918/'The World’s UnFair,' a New Exhibition Calling for the Return of Indigenous Land, Comes to Queenshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/queens-is-host-to-worlds-unfair-in-new-exhibition-about-return-of-indigenous-land-180982915/Located on an empty lot, the immersive art show has a simple message: "Give it back"Wed, 20 Sep 2023 12:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/queens-is-host-to-worlds-unfair-in-new-exhibition-about-return-of-indigenous-land-180982915/Where to See the Best Mural Festivals Around the Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/best-mural-festivals-around-world-180968693/Every year, cities across the globe bring in artists to transform buildingsMon, 30 Jul 2018 20:37:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/best-mural-festivals-around-world-180968693/Daydream About Summer With These Color-Drenched Photos of the Great American Fairhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/photos-showcase-cultural-significance-american-fair-180968434/Photographer Pamela Littky set off across the United States to discover why these timeless summer festivals have such staying powerMon, 12 Mar 2018 17:17:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/photos-showcase-cultural-significance-american-fair-180968434/