25th Anniversary of the 1982 Worlds Fair

I’m preparing to post a number of photos we took during the World’s Fair. Click on the thumbnails for larger versions.

As always, if you were there sometime during the 6-month run in 1982, please post a memory in comments.

Saudi Arabian pavilion - if we knew then what we knew now…

Some awnings I believe near the Panamanian pavilion. Panama was the last nation to join, actually not arriving and opening their pavilion until after the Fair opened.

View of Tennessee Amphitheater from the skybuckets

The West German pavilion, or the pavilion of the Federal Republic of Germany. Interesting from an anachronistic point of view, but in reality one of the weakest of all the World’s Fair pavilions in terms of quality of show. No real artifacts or cultural presentations to speak of, but lots of boasting about energy progress.

The Mexican Pavilion

The outside of the French Pavilion. On the whole, the pavilions from what they then called the EU (European Union) were fairly boring. Even for a techno geek like my 15-yr-old self, there was only so much an electronic diagram of energy consumption in the outlying surburbs of Nice could hold my attention…

This is our family friend Sheila in front of the US Pavilion. Behind the photographer is the fruit stand where her son Tim worked, that was sponsored by Kroger foods and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

My brother and I outside the Kroger Fruit Stand. This stand sold fresh, cool fruit that was a Godsend on hot summer days and my traditional first stop when arriving at the fair in of my 42 trips. It was located on the deck just beneath the Sunsphere and inside the Henley Street Gate. There was an intricate neon mural on the wall above the Fruit Stand that stayed up and lit for a while after the Fair was over. I miss it.

I’ll leave it to you to guess which one is me and which is my brother.

The Elm Tree Theatre was nestled between some of the European pavilions, near the site of where today stands the Knoxville Museum of Art. The Elm Tree had stood for many, many years in that spot and rather than chop it down to build the Fair, they built around it and made it into a cool outdoor theatre. One of the many innovative approaches the designers made. Notice the Buddy’s BBQ stand in the back - you can imagine what it smelled like sitting there watching a show…

I saw Jimmie “J.J.” Walker perform there one night where he made his famous “Falkland Islands” joke. Ask me.

View from the top of the Elm Tree Theatre. Mmmm…smell that barbecue!

Ah, the famous Australian windmills. The Aussies had one of the coolest pavilions at the Fair and there was even a “back door” pub serving Aussie beer. The specific memories have faded about what was inside - what I wouldn’t give to go back and walk through it all again…

One of my favorite shots. The Sunsphere framed by a giant hanging American flag from the US Pavilion. Just gorgeous.

A generic catch-all pavilion for the European Union. I’m not sure what this person is doing in front - probably the traditional, “Oops!” duck when someone walks in front of a camera taking a photo.

Walking outside the (then) newly renovated and restored Candy Factory. One of the several restoration projects on old buildings at the Fair site, the Candy Factory still remains. It’s getting ready to be re-re-renovated into condos now.

Funny, this view’s not much different than it is today. Except for the giant mutant lollipops, of course.

The 1982 World’s Fair meant Knoxville, and Knoxville means cloggers. Can’t have one without the other, so here they are on the Court of Flags - the central performance space of the Fair. This area hung around for several years after the Fair, before it was finally torn up and rebuilt into…well, nothing really.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Creator’s plan may save Tennessee Amphitheater without breaking bank (Knoxville News Sentinel - 12/14/06)

In between the all-or-nothing options presented to Knoxville City Council last month, a more affordable fix now is being considered for the aging Tennessee Amphitheater at World’s Fair Park.

With some free assistance from local architect Doug McCarty, who designed the one-of-kind tent structure in 1980, city officials say the replacement of its rusting steel trusses could be enough to resurrect the site as a viable performance venue.

Council members reviewed four options at a November workshop, ranging from the most expensive option, a $3.4 million full renovation, to complete demolition for about $655,000.

…

The latest idea is to replace the four flawed trusses that support the main tent, along with a few smaller improvements to meet building codes, which could cost about $850,000, said Jeff Galyon, senior project manager for the Public Building Authority, which manages the site.

I think this is a great idea. If you’re going to spend a minimum of $655,000 to demolish the structure anyway, why not tack on the extra $200,000 and fix the part of the amphitheater that actually needs fixing?

It’s a shame almost a whole generation of people in Knoxville have never seen a show at theTennessee Amphitheater. I’ve actually performed there a few times, mostly when I was still at UT. It’s really a fun venue, although it can get a little dicey when storms start coming through (been there).

I once posted about watching Red Skelton perform there back during the World’s Fair - just today Brad Zinn, the Skelton impressionist that inspired that post, commented with some interesting information about Red Skelton. If you’re a Skelton fan, go back and read the post and read his comment.

Here are some shots we took of the Amphitheater during the Fair:

A performance at the Amphitheater during the Fair - either Up With People! or “Sing Tennessee” (the signature show)

The Tennessee Amphitheater flanked by the U.S. Pavilion. Note the skylifts that traveled from one end of the park to the other.

Here’s Part 3 of WBIR-TV10’s feature on the beginning of the World’s Fair.

I was there that day, in the mass marching band assembled from various high school bands all over the area.  From where I stood, I could clearly see Ronald Reagan behind his podium (and bullet-proof glass, having taken one the year before) and deliver his speech.

Yesterday I was in attendance at the Covenant Platinum Awards at the Knoxville Convention Center, an event honoring area seniors. The entertainment was provided by Brad Zinn, who did a tribute to comedians of the past with impressions, songs, and good humor.

One of the comedians he paid tribute to was Red Skelton. I realized as I sat and watched that almost 25 years ago I had sat in almost the exact general location and seen the real Red Skelton perform at the Tennessee Ampitheatre.

It was a night near the end of the run of the 1982 World’s Fair, and as dusk fell many, many people began pouring into the area surrounding the Waters of the World. I found a place with my family on the other side of the manmade lake from the Ampitheatre, near the Power Substation that was used simultaneously as a power grid and an exhibit for the energy-themed fair. The managers of the Ampitheatre opened up the removable back wall so everyone could see Mr. Skelton perform, almost in the round.

He held the audience in thrall for a good while, and not only entertained us with his clowning, mimicry and general silliness, if I recall correctly he recited his inspirational one-word-at-a-time explanation of the Pledge of Allegiance. If you’ve never heard Red Skelton perform this bit, you should try to find a recording somewhere because it makes you think about the Pledge as you never have before.

That was one of the highlights of that summer at the fair to me, and I was glad for the memories the performer brought back to me yesterday as he, too, did Skelton doing the Pledge of Allegiance.

Was anybody else at that original Red Skelton performance 25 years ago?

UPDATE (12/14/06) : The comedian who performed his Red Skelton impression commented on this post - read what he says about Skelton’s life, it’s very interesting.

He also provided a link to hear Red Skelton recite his “Pledge of Allegiance”:

http://www.mamarocks.com/pledge_of_allegiance.htm

Here’s Part 2 of WBIR-TV’s series on the origins of the 1982 World’s Fair.

There was plenty of controversy before the way was finally cleared in 1977 for the Fair. Then the work began: securing financing; lining up exhibitors, and turning an old train switching yard into a Fair.

WBIR-TV 10 has a continuing series called “50 Years of East Tennessee on TV”.

Tonight they ran part two of Knoxville dreams big of “Expo 82″ - a look at how Knoxville prepared for the opening day of the 1982 World’s Fair. It isn’t online yet, but Part 1 is - Take a look!

The Knoxville News Sentinel has a nice set of photos of the World’s Fair online. Take a look for nostalgic purposes, or even more if you weren’t living here at the time and just wonder what the heck the big deal is…

Trust me, if you were here it was breathtaking

Start watching.

From the Knoxville News Sentinel:

A new proposal for rekindling life into the Sunsphere at World’s Fair Park includes an observation deck, a restaurant, special events space and offices for a Knoxville public relations firm.

Kinsey Probasco Hays & Associates, the Chattanooga development company that is redeveloping the Candy Factory, will present its tentative plan to City Council at a work session to be held at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building.

I think this is a great prospect for recreating the Sunsphere as a downtown anchor.  New people to the city that have no idea what to do naturally gravitate toward the towering gold icon as some sort of destination, and being such a visual eye-catcher they are disappointed when finding not only that you can’t do anything inside it, but that people once could and just aren’t allowed to.  It’s not like it’s a solid structure that’s completely inaccessible.

The fourth-floor observation deck would be open to the public.

Southern Graces would run a restaurant on the fifth floor, as well as manage special events on the sixth floor.

Robert A. Sukenik, president of Southern Graces, said the restaurant would be open for lunch — serving primarily salads, sandwiches and deserts — and could be converted to serve cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the early evening.

What a great way to end an evening after a trip to the theatre or a restaurant in the Old City or Market Square, with a drink looking out over the Knoxville skyline and the riverfront.

City Council won’t vote at tomorrow’s workshop but would have to approve the deal.

Let’s go, folks, do the right thing for once.

Here are links to some blog and newspaper articles in the recent past regarding the Sunsphere and the need for its reuse and revitalization. Making the Sunsphere a functional part of the World’s Fair Park and Convention Center is a vital component to the image of downtown Knoxville.

As my dad always said, “Make yourself useful instead of ornamental.”

Victor at “Knoxville Blog“ makes an excellent case for saving the Sunsphere, as does Fred Brown in a Knoxville News Sentinel article from 2005.

The articles are a bit dated, as progress has been made (however slight) in thinking about getting the Sunsphere back in operation, but the sentiments expressed are still completely valid.

I’d like to hear your stories and memories of the 1982 World’s Fair, good or bad.

Send them to me via email or add to comments - I want to hear from you!