Wisconsin State Fair
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The Wisconsin State Fair is an annual event held at the
Wisconsin State Fair Park The Wisconsin State Fair Park is a fairgrounds and exhibition center in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. It has been the location of the Wisconsin State Fair since 1892. The fairgrounds are open year-round, hosting various expe ...
in
West Allis, Wisconsin West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Milwaukee, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 60,325 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Histo ...
, a suburb of
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
. The modern
fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...
takes place in August (occasionally beginning late July) and lasts 11 days.


History

The first Wisconsin State Fair was held in 1851 in Janesville, with approximately 13,000 to 18,000 people in attendance. Sponsored by the state’s Agricultural Society, it was held on a six-acre plot along the banks of the Rock River. It featured a 200-pound squash and a quarter-acre plowing competition with teams of horses and oxen. It was reportedly the largest gathering in Wisconsin history.Wisconsin State Fair History
/ref> When the second fair was held in Milwaukee in 1852, fairgoers took their carriages for rides around the Cold Spring Race Course.
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
was invited to give the annual oration at the fair in 1859. He spoke on the principles of free labor - farmers and their families working for themselves without the use of hired labor - and of the interconnectedness of farmers, merchants, and other businesses. He advised farmers to embrace new methods of agriculture, with the goal of raising the standard of living. The fair added new attractions each year, and in 1869, there was a fire engine demonstration where boxes, barrels and a large wooden building were set aflame. For decades, the fair moved from city to city, including Janesville,
Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...
, Fond du Lac,
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
and Milwaukee, until 1892, when it was first held at its permanent and present location at Wisconsin State Fair Park. During the 2011 fair, a small but violent
flash mob A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression. Flash mobs may be organized via t ...
was formed and began attacking fairgoers, with some witnesses stating that the attacks were racially-motivated. Eighteen people, including seven police officers, were injured during the event. In response, fair managers added a youth curfew and worked with civic and youth leaders to prevent a recurrence. On May 28, 2020, the state fair's board of directors announced the cancellation of the 2020 State Fair, due to the state's COVID-19 pandemic. Previous Fairs had been cancelled in 1917 and 1918, then 1942 through 1945, all due to World Wars I and II.


The Milwaukee Mile

The Milwaukee Mile The Milwaukee Mile is a oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectator ...
is a one-mile paved
oval An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.) it is given a more precise definition, which may include either one or ...
racing circuit on the grounds of the State Fair. It is the oldest continuously-operated motor racing circuit in the world. Racing or exhibition events are often held on the circuit in conjunction with the state fair.


Events and entertainment

Yearly features at the fair include a wide variety of vendors, many local and national bands, the
Kids From Wisconsin Kid, Kids, KIDS, and K.I.D.S. may refer to: Common meanings * Colloquial term for a child or other young person ** Also for a parent's offspring regardless of age * Engage in joking * Young goats * The goat meat of young goats * Kidskin, lea ...
, and a large assortment of food and drink, including cream puffs, which are one of the fair's most popular attractions. In 2010, the Wisconsin State Fair introduced Comet 2, a forty-foot roller coaster. New in 2012, the Wisconsin State Fair took over the Midway, creating Spin City, a collection of independently contracted rides including the Sizzler, the Freak Out, and the Stratosphere, a 200-foot-tall swing ride. The Main Stage features headline performance every evening of the fair. Many local bands can also be seen on smaller stages and pavilions located throughout the grounds. Agricultural exhibits of horses, cattle, sheep, chickens and other animals are featured every year at the fair. The Wisconsin State Fair is also home of the Wisconsin Wine Garden. Established in 1996 by the then ten member-wineries of the
Wisconsin Winery Association Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Mich ...
, the Wine Garden features wines from dozens of Wisconsin wineries.


Fairgoer demographics

*Average age of a fairgoer: 40 *84% of fairgoers reside in
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
– half of them live in metropolitan Milwaukee *Average visits to the fair: 3 times *Average hours spent at the fair: 5 – 7 hours


Attendance

*Attendance: 1,130,572 in 2019


See also

*
Northern Wisconsin State Fair The Northern Wisconsin State Fair is a state fair held annually in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. It was started in 1897 when the state government recognized the difficulty northern Wisconsin citizens had in trying to reach the Wisconsin State Fair ...
*
Central Wisconsin State Fair The Central Wisconsin State Fair is a state fair held annually in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The Central Wisconsin State Fair Round Barn on the fairgrounds has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1997. The fair should not b ...


References


Further reading

* Crump, Gordon.
Baits Trap with Cheese: State Products Sell Fair
, ''The Billboard'', November 29, 1947, p. 30. * Economics Research Associates. ''Economic Impact of the Wisconsin State Fair and Non-Fair Events, 1979''. West Allis, WI: Wisconsin State Fair Park, 1980. * Gordon, Julie. ''State Fair Park: An Evaluation''. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau, 2003. * Kapler, Joe.
Preserving the 'Big Picture' for Wisconsin: The 1948 Centennial Fair Murals
. ''Wisconsin Magazine of History'', vol. 95, no. 1 (Autumn 2011): 26-35. * Lathrop, John H. "Address Delivered at the First Annual Fair of the State Agricultural Society, Held at Janesville, Wisconsin: October 2, 1851". Milwaukee: ''Daily Sentinel'' Print, 1851. * Lincoln, Abraham. ''Lincoln on Agriculture: Address, Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, State Fair, Milwaukee, September 30, 1859''. Madison: Lincoln Fellowship of Wisconsin, 1943. * Ryan, John W. ''The Wisconsin State Fair: Its Modern Role and Objectives. A Report to Wisconsin Department of Agriculture''. Madison: University Extension Division, 1960. * ''State Fair Commemorative Cookbook: Featuring 150 Award-Winning Recipes''. West Allis, WI: Wisconsin State Fair, 2001. * ''Wisconsin State Fair: 1979 Visitor Study''. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension, 1980. * Wisconsin State Fair Park Public Relations Department. ''Wisconsin State Fair: A Brief History of the Wisconsin State Fair''. West Allis, WI: Wisconsin State Fair Park, 1990. * Zimmerman, Jerry. ''150 Years of the Wisconsin State Fair: An Illustrated History, 1851-2001''. West Allis, WI: Wisconsin State Fair Park, 2001.


External links


Wisconsin State Fair Park website

Wisconsin State Fair Park Foundation Website

1948 Wisconsin State Fair Murals
{{Coord, 43, 1, 19, N, 88, 0, 46, W, type:event, display=title West Allis, Wisconsin State fairs Wisconsin culture Tourism in Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Traveling carnivals Festivals established in 1851