Client
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Concept
State Fair Immersive Environment
Location
Lebanon, TN
Products
Event Fabrication
Foam Sculpting
Services
Design & Fabrication
Project Management
Logistics and Shipping
Installation
Cultivating Community at the Tennessee State Fair
Situation
Pick Tennessee Products, in partnership with Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Wilson County Tennessee State Fair — wanted to create an engaging, educational, and highly visual environment for families attending the annual fair. Their goal was to spotlight agriculture and Tennessee-grown products while offering an immersive space that encouraged exploration, photo opportunities, and learning. The installation needed to reflect a farm-to-table theme, withstand outdoor conditions, and be practical for transportation, installation, dismantle, and storage between events.
Solution
Our scenic design and event fabrication team partnered with the fair organizers to design and build a welcoming entry and walk-through environment called Sprout & Stroll, inspired by a “bumblebee’s POV when flying through the garden!” This fun installation blended large-scale artistry with practical engineering solutions. Using Foam3D™ sculpting with hand-painted scenic finishes, our fabrication team was able to produce larger than life flowers, produce, and greenery that formed the heart of the activation. Nestled amongst these larger-than-life installations, we added custom wooden stands displaying fun facts and crop details, adding an interactive, learning-focused layer to the experience. Printed mesh backdrops – double-sided printed mesh with Velcro application created scenic farm landscapes, enclosing the space while reinforcing the agricultural theme.
Impact
The Pick Tennessee Products Sprout & Stroll installation successfully transformed a simple fairground pathway into an immersive themed environment that showcased local agriculture. Its vibrant colors, oversized foam sculptures, and educational signage captivated both children and adults, while the rustic entryways created a sense of arrival.
Key outcomes included fully enveloping visitors in a playful, larger-than-life farm environment that encouraged exploration and discovery, implementing informational signage that connected attendees to Tennessee’s agricultural roots, and creating social media reach with oversized produce and flower sculptures that served as natural photo backdrops.
There is nothing more exciting or rewarding than when an initial spark of client inspiration evolves into a much bolder vision. The immersive themed environment struck a perfect balance between whimsical scenic design and practical execution, delivering a turnkey scenic solution that met the client’s creative, logistical, and long-term goals and made for an epic immersive experience at this year’s Tennessee State Fair!