Wisconsin State Fair

The best State Fair in the whole Wisconsin is located right in my favorite city, West Allis. Tons of cute rides, and cute music, and cute stuff, this is a must-​go for girls! (And boys too. P

The Wisconsin State Fair is a very popular event attended year after year by music lovers and foodies. There is so much to see and do. The renowned Cream Puffs are a must-​have! A brat and beer or two to be enjoyed strolling the park grounds. There are rides for the kiddies, on-​going music venues throughout the park. Headliner music attractions are usually held at night. It’s a happy place. Good for families. Take a shuttle bus from the burbs so not to worry about the parking in the area.

Cream Puffs: Apparently this was the staple of the Fair. You’d be dumbfounded by how many people were walking around with boxes of cream puffs. It was an amazement in itself to see how many people were in line to order and watch as a crew of 10+ people made the cream puffs, packaged them, and just kept going.
I didn’t realize how big this cream puffs were until I held one. It felt like I was eating a lighter, sweeter version of a half pound burger. It was seriously that big. It was to the point where you kind of had to squash the puff down and squeeze some of the cream out. But sure enough, it was delicious. Now I can see why people line up to get them.
Turkey Leg: Not much to say here. If you’ve gone to any carnival, amusement park, fair, etc, you know you have to get a turkey leg. Plain and simple.

The Wisconsin State Fair is amazing. I have family in Milwaukee, so we made the 1 hour drive from NW Chicago this past summer to check everything out.
As pervious reviews have stated, there really is something for everyone here. This event makes a great family, date, or friend get-​together night.
Entertainment, Food, Games are plentiful.
I only have one other State Fair to compare this one to; the Indiana State Fair. There are many similarities, but the entertainment at the WI State Fair appealed more to me (personally), thus the better review.
Would definitely love to come back here on a weekday to explore things that we may have missed. We arrived on a Saturday evening and the place was swarming with loads of people. Fun nonetheless.

The only urban state fair I’ve ever heard of, it took me years after moving here to finally try out. Now I’m a fan, and much to my surprise my favorite parts are the product pavilion and the traditional agricultural competitions and displays. I inadvertently sounded like Lennie Small in «Of Mice and Men» getting excited about seeing the rabbits again. I grew up in a bigger city, so prize pigs amaze me. The many fried foods aren’t as good as the legendary cream puffs, but I’ve found that whole aspect of the fair, the eating and drinking, is much more enjoyable during bad weather. A little drizzle keeps the crowds down, the heat off my back and so when other people decide the weather is inclement and avoid the fair, I’m headed this way. The Hank Aaron Bike Trail takes you right here, so that’s the way to get here to avoid the hassle of parking. You should also take some common sense precautions, don’t keep your mobile phone sticking out of your back pocket and keep your children in sight and within grabbing distance.

My first State Fair and it was fun. I wasn’t expecting so much things to do and see actually. We got there about 11:30am and left close to closing time about 11:00pm.
We did buy the coupon book and I guess for a first timer, it’s a good investment.
If you didn’t bring your own drinks, I think buying the refillable soda for $ 5 is a deal. Every place that offers refills are $ 2.50 and there are drinking fountains spread out to fill with water.
Pretty much all the foods we tried were good. We didn’t think we would be a fan of the cream puffs, but we ended up picking up a pack of 3 close to closing time. We sat and ate 2 and brought one back for someone. My sister said she wished they offered a drizzle of chocolate over them.
My niece had fun at the carnival ride side. The animals, shopping was nice and all the staff were nice.
Big surprise for us were the porta potties and bathroom were clean and stocked with toilet paper. They were on top of things here.
Overall, a great experience. Don’t know if I would come every year, but every couple of years would be good.

No state fair has quite the same charm as the Wisconsin State Fair. There is really something for everyone.
Great people watching, fun events and things for all ages. I skipped past the rides but I could tell those riding them were having a blast. Loved walking through and seeing all the cows, a very WI thing to do! Also watched the sea lion show, which was pretty adorable. Was sad that I missed the pig races this time.
Best part of the fair is food everywhere. And food you could think of! I was eyeing pizza cones but told myself no! We walked through an indoor area of all of the local foods, and drooled at everything! A grilled cheese making station. hard for me to pass up. Lots of delicious desserts as well.
Stopped in the wine tent and wasn’t too impressed with any of the wines unfortunately. They weren’t bad, just weren’t as good as I had hoped. Best part of the whole thing: crème puffs. Line always moves fast and it’s so fun watching them make it. And also trying to eat it. Always a mess, a delicious mess. Love the state fair.

Farm Animals.
Mullets.
Unheathly people riding every 3 wheel device ever made.
Food on a stick.
Cream Puffs.
Midway.
Usually some of the hottest days of the year.
What more can you ask for? Yes, it can be a little pricey ($ 10 parking, $ 10 admission) but the level of people watching is amazing.
Check out the exposition hall for people trying to shill any and all products. There even may have been a ginshu knife sighting.
All in all, a favorite summer tradition.

It’s kinda requirement for our family to go every year. We are adventurous eaters and usually plan our way around the fair based on what we want to eat. Not much peaked our interest this year. There are some standards though we ALWAYS have to get: Cream puffs number one. A sundae in the Wisconsin products building two. Three: Something containing cheese: We chose Saz’s (not Daz’s as my iPhone auto corrects) And A beverage to share: This time it was a cherry lime ade for $ 6.00. We came early and the guy didn’t have change. Before we even got into the gate we spent $ 30.00. We were tired and didn’t want to park on our usual lawn spot a few blocks away. We parked on the track for $ 10.00. There are advanced admission special prices but we’re procrastinators. This was the only day we could go. Also it was veterans day for reduced admission. We got there around 8:30AM on this blistery 90 degree day. Sun block is essential. There are misting stations around but they didn’t seem to do any good. Hit the products pavilion to stay cool. Don’t drink alcohol if possible. And go early if possible is my advice. I got a band for my child incase she got lost and ended up loosing the hubby. Wish I could have gotten one for him. Great place to people watch We didn’t get any animals in this time because the pens were closed early. Well, there is always next year! I did snag some atomic Siracha though and got my ring cleaned.

Adding Door County Cherry Pie to the must have list of baked potato and grilled cheese. Drool!

I love the State Fair because it’s always the same old thing, only it’s never the same old thing! If you’re a regular, you know where to find the features because the features are always in the same place.
Whether you visit the livestock or not, whether you see any shows or not, whether you visit the midway or not, there are some certain requirements for the State Fair that might has well be state law:
1) Cream Puffs! You are required to consume at least one cream puff per visit.
2) New Berlin Lions Club Corn Roast. They’ve been here forever with proceeds going to charity. You know you want to, so just get over there and grab an ear of corn. Can’t eat it off the cob? They’ll strip it into a cup for you.
3) Sky Ride. (Optional if you’re scared of heights.) It’s the best way to get an overview of the entire fair grounds, end to end. Check out the rooftop with several shoes, hair bands and rubbish that morons toss out of the cars.
4) MILK! Be sure to stop at the Milwaukee Bucks Milk House and for the amazing sum of
COUNT IT! –} 25¢ {– COUNT IT!
you can have a glass of Wisconsin’s Best in one of several great flavors.
5) Commerce. Whether you wear it, consume it, attach it to your house, play it, or if it chops, dices, slices, bakes, blasts, fries or lies, you’ll find it here! It’s fun to listen to the hucksters spin a pitch to attract your attention and get you stop and watch an AMAZING (insert eye roll smiley here) demo of the next miracle product.
The State Fair has it all, even a 1938 Buick Ambulance.
We don’t have Percy Kilbride telling us, «Don’t miss it, don’t even be late!» but he’s right! Take it from Percy himself (about 1:30 into it.)

Always have a great time at the fair and look forward to the time of year it comes! There are so many good choices it’s a bit overwhelming, but the times I have gone all the food has been delicious. My favorite is the chocolate covered cheesecake, and I can never resist funnel cake. I really enjoy the animals and any shows or demonstrations they have going on. I do also love the horticulture building and seeing how talented people can be with their entries.

I love the Wisconsin state fair. Every year there are new, fun foods. I tried two this year, the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burger from Machine shed (patty is half beef half ground bacon) and the churro Sunday from the Mexican Grill (long john and churro covered with vanilla ice cream, whip, chocolate and caramel topping) both were delicious, though the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burger was not what I envisioned. I had imagined bacon on top the patty, but this was all ground together in the patty. The flavor was excellent while presentation was lacking. I did turn down the cheese wrapped option so I can’t comment on that. The plain fries were seasoned and I enjoyed them. The churro Sunday, I loved it. Churro was a bit hard, would’ve liked more fresh fried texture, but flavors with the donut was excellent. Enjoyed that dish a lot!
I went two days, once with my partner and once solo. I saw some dogs doing fly ball relays in the coliseum, and a few glimpses of a horse competition. I visited the cows, love how you can get so close to them! The expo grounds was jam packed and hard to move around at times. I loved the horticulture building, the hand made crafts, photos and dishes are so enjoyable to explore.
The grounds are crowded tight with people, so expect everything that comes along with that. I did use the restroom once in one of the permanent buildings, and it was being cleaned at the time, so overall the facility was quite clean for the number of people at the fair. Was happy with that.
It’s obviously hot this time of year, I felt there is a decent amount of shade offered by buildings (some like expo and horticulture have AC) and seating umbrellas and awnings.
I also recommend buying the souvenir cup if you plan on going more than once, or have more than two drinks. You can get refills for less so it’s a deal. They let me bring in my cup on another day.
As far as parking, I paid $ 10 to park in the general lot near the handicapped section. It wasn’t too hard to find a space. The next day, I found free parking on the street to the east of the park.

Fun time at the fair. We got there later in the day at around 4 on a Saturday. It was wall to wall already. The animal exhibits were lite on the crowd so we would use them to pass through. The food offerings were typical carnival chow, cheap and expensive. But I knew I should have eaten before I came. Then I saw what I drove 2 hours for. The cream puffs! As a first time cream puffer I bit into it like a sandwich. Which was totally wrong. As the cream shot out of the other side. Eat it like an Oreo. Take them apart and savor each side. I still got it all over my face. Delicious! We walked the place 3 times and I had had enough on my feet. But not wanting to leave just yet, we hopped on the overhead baskets for a round trip ride totaling 7 bucks. The most reasonable thing at the fair. A good time was had by all.

Wisconsin Native here. I think I just had bad luck at the fair yesterday but first I asked for «cheese on a stick» for $ 4. Unknowingly I was handed a corndog. Dont get me wrong I like them but I came for the fried crap. Then I went to Lake Front Breweries stand and got the pretzel cone with chicken and cinnamon… sounded good but tasted bland. At the same stand I ordered an IPA beer, and was not carded. The sign said «we card under 35» yeah still have a decade to go on that one.thanks.
Good part: got my cream puff :) saw the baby animals including sheep, quail, piglets-​adorable!!! Also, taking photos with the cutouts is so much fun and cracks me up like no other. The fair also had music going this year-​saw some cheesy 80s band called Cherry Pie or something… cool seeing people from that era now rockin out. Of course ill go again but im cool with skipping it next year.

What a blast! This is such a fun event and my family enjoys going every year! My husband enjoys the multiple food vendors. The kids enjoy the animals. I just love a day with my family where everyone is interested and happy. I don’t feel like vendors are overly pushy and trying to sell you crap you don’t need — unless you hit up the market place in which case, you’re asking for it.
We love that have on site parking. It isn’t super expensive as compared to Chicago parking lots. This year it was $ 10. It was easy getting in and out of parking. As for admission, we bought our tickets on line a few months in advance and they were much cheaper than buying them at the door.
The rides are costly, and there aren’t many options for smaller children. They do have a carousel, but that is about it.
Cream puffs and cheese curds are a must! The lines may seem long but they go quickly. You never seem to be waiting too long! Bring cash because some of the smaller (and yummier) stands do not take credit cards or debit cards.

How can you rate it less than five stars, you get what you make of it. I’m a check in regular once every year. Big expectations of crazy stuff to eat, bacon wrapped pork belly, deep fried cheese on a stick, pork chop on a stick, cheese curds, bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a stick, cream puffs, okay now I’m stuffed, can’t do the deep fried butter! Go when they open preferably on a week day and avoid the crowds. The flavored milk is still 25 cents and free Chevy shirts with a quick survey at the Chevy booth! Next stop is to get the stomach pumped

Definitely worth going to when it’s in town! Try the fried, vein compacting, greasy goodness that is offered by the food vendors! Avoid the lemonade, it’s overpriced, and probably the stuff sold by your average restaurant. Nonetheless, I would definitely bring friends and family here, with plenty of water, sunglasses, and a hat, because it gets hot!
My other complaint has to do with one of the guys hired to operate the «loop-​de-​loop» ride. An older black male who looked like he was intoxicated, allowed his choice of patrons to get on without paying, which is completely unfair to the rest of us. If you do know him, call his a** out on it, because that is not right!
Other than that, the fair is worth going at least once. Quite pricey, just like any fair, so bring plenty of cash, but be wise. Avoid the infomercial vendors inside the building, and wash your hands after being with the animals so you won’t risk getting sick!
All in all, very fun!

In 2014, I visited the Wisconsin State Fair for the first time in over 20 years. It was enjoyable, but not an annual necessity, as some people make it out to be. There are certainly plenty of other food and street festivals in Milwaukee where you can enjoy fried food, beer, music, rides. Certainly the whole State of Wisconsin has opportunities for viewing livestock up close.
At the Fair you’ll see–
— Lots of fried food. It’s almost impossible to eat healthy here, so don’t expect to. We actually found some good food like cherry wood smoked bacon wrapped pork belly, thanks to reading the Journal-​Sentinel tips the week before.
— Carnival rides– the giant slide is a tradition. That slingshot chair looks downright frightening!
— Cover bands. My buddy’s cover band the Presidents played here when I went. They were really good, and music makes sitting down and enjoying a few Wisconsin brews and food enjoyable.
— Horse Pulls and Livestock. The horse pull was really interesting. And it’s under cover (for rainy or hot days) and relaxing. Visit the other barns if you have any interest in livestock. We were disappointed that they were closing the barns at 3:15pm instead of advertised 4pm on the day we went. Bummer
— Wisconsin DNR area is great to see some prize fish on the walls, and it has a nice relaxing path with gardening tips and Wisconsin State specific nature. They did a great job telling us about their new Ranger apps too.
— More fat and infirm people than have a right to be in one place at one time. I’m not sure why but there seemed to be a ton (no pun intended) of large and injured people visiting the Fair. Stocking up on calories for the long winter ahead? Apparently you can do that here. And do it in a foot boot/​walker/​hoveround.
Tips:
— Park in the neighborhoods nearby. If you’re not one of the former infirm, you can walk a few blocks and only pay $ 5 – 8 to park on someone’s lawn.
— Visit the Micro– a new Craft Brewery spot on the grounds, which features a great selection of Wisconsin Craft Brews. You can get flights here, too. And they show all the games on TVs throughout. Some people just come here and set all day, and I don’t blame them one bit. This place is cool!
— Order your cream puffs at the To Go window, don’t go in and wait in line. They’re the same cream puffs, you’ll just be eating them outside, no bigs. After 20 years of thinking cream puffs weren’t that good, I enjoyed mine in 2014.
— Avoid the Exhibition Hall, which is just a bunch of infomercial junk. That is, unless you’re in the market for a new Hot Tub! Oh, but The High School art winners are displayed in the lobby, do check those out. Blue Ribbon!
— Lower your expectations. The Wisconsin State Fair is kind of like going to Disney World– you’ll not be able to move quickly through the crowds, you’ll fight with your family/​kids, you’ll end up with indigestion from fried food, but it’s the best thing going. And it’s Our State Fair, dammit!

What to expect.
Lots of walking around looking at the fashionable WestAllians.
Listening to live music.
Livestock and crafts.
Eating food on a stick.
Drinking beer from The Micro.
Watch people get slingshot into the sky.
Vendors galore.
All types of food that are not on sticks. Too many days to go, some days are crazy busy expect this on the weekends and evenings. Parking is easier if you take the shuttle or ride a bike.
Got a chance to see Vanilla Ice and hang out with a bunch of Unilocalers PM, KR to celebrate KJK Birthday at the micro (brew bar) is by far one of the best service and quality craft around. For the non drinkers they have lemonade root beer or milk Since Herb Kohl sold off the Bucks They still have a great variety of flavored milk for just a quarter at the Bucks milk barn.
F:5
A:5
S:4
L:5
V:3
⁸⁶⁄₂₀₁₄

The Wisconsin State Fair is one of the best wholesome, family-​oriented entertainment values in the Midwest. For the cost of a ticket you have entrance into a myriad of sights and attractions including championship animals musical entertainment, carnival rides, glimpse of Wisconsin products… the list goes on and on.
I go to eat. You can stuff yourself silly on almost any kind of food you can think of and a few that will astound you. If it fits on a stick, you can probably enjoy it and it will be tasty to boot.
I also go to people watch. Trust me you will not be disappointed in this regard. People from all walks of life gather at the Wisconsin State Fair.
Hats off to the staff that produce this show annually. It is a true Wisconsin event not to be missed!

It was after 1AM, girlfriend and I were in bed. I was reading on my phone, and in one of the feeds coming to me from the internet, I saw it. It was a savory waffle cone stuffed with fried chicken. I saw that it was available at the Wisconsin State Fair.
The next day we drove the 2.5 hours from Chicago to the fair, just outside Milwaukee. I was most interested in the Wisconsin products building and the food there-​in. Sometime during that rainy August Monday I had a realization that I don’t really deal with «the public»: the folks who come to Xoco are a very specific sliver of the general public, who want to pay more than $ 10 for a sandwich crafted by a nationally known chef. The folks who want to pay $ 5 for a pizza dough cone stuffed with cheese and pepperoni are a more diverse bunch.
Here is everything we ate:
Wisconsin-​grown corn on the cob. I wanted a photo of the corncob getting dipped into a barrel of butter but I was too slow with my camera. I asked the thirteen (?) year-​old girl to please dip the cob in the butter again. An awkward standoff ensued.
Wisconsin cheddar and provolone cheese sandwiches, dipped in butter and griddled.
Girlfriend got a margarita from the concession stand that contained no tequila, and then switched to Hinterland Cherry Wheat, featuring Door County cherry.
I was not loving the burger made with Wisconsin beef (cooked through) so turned that over to my partner. I got Door County cherry pie, vanilla ice cream, and tart cherry juice instead.
After feeling super nauseous just from looking at the rides in Spin City, I had a panic attack on the chair lift ride that takes you over the entire park, both from the height, and from the ride operators instructions to kick my legs up and tilt my neck back. I don’t like to be in situations that require strangers telling me what to do with my neck. I know what to do, it’s a pretty general rule that I learned from the Wu-​Tang Clan: protect ya neck.
To settle the stomach, I ordered the Triple Treat of cream puffs. These were the best things I ate. The pastry was pretty good, but the cream was ridiculous. It must have been more than 50% pure fat. I blacked out while eating this. My girlfriend says I was in the middle of passersby, my mouth and face covered in white cream.
Wisconsin brat, for protein, and mustard.
Cookie dough on a stick. I actually loved the cookie dough on a stick. I was afraid, because of how awful the cookie dough candy you get at movie theaters is, but it was way closer to the dangerous raw egg cookie dough, and covered in a delightful chocolate shell.

I love the Wisconsin State Fair!!!
I have been coming (nearly) every year since I was little! There are really too many reasons to list why I love the fair, but here are a few of my pro tips!
1.) Have at least one of your meals at the Wisconsin Products Pavilion. You will see when you get there that people love the food there! My favorites: Usingers brats on a pretzel bun ($ 4), FFA Ice Cream Sundaes ($ 3), Pork Chop Sandwich ($ 6), Duck Fajitas ($ 4), Baked Potatoes ($ 4). But honestly you can’t really go wrong with anything. Beef, lamb, bison, apples, honey, maple syrup, cherries, cranberries, etc. All locally produced. Awesome.
2.) Saz’s mozzarella sticks. ($ 7 for 4) Pricey, but amazing.
3.) Benno’s Micro. Get some delicious, and large (20 ounce) beer (s) for $ 7.50.
4.) El Jefe Mexican Corn (in a bowl). ($ 4). Just add a squirt of lime juice and some cayenne.
5.) Cheap beer: $ 5.50 — 20 Ounce domestic brews. If you are paying more than $ 5.50 you are paying too much. (This is true as of 2014).
6.) Fresh Fries with nacho cheese sauce. They are at the Fresh Fries stand by Central Park (across from the the Budweiser Pavilion).
7. For the best deal on soda buy a souvenir cup ($ 5) with $ 2 refills. You can bring this back with you every day of the fair (if you go multiple days like I do…)
8. If you have quarter you need to stop off at the footsie wootsie (the feet vibrator)…
9. You need to go down the giant slide at least once.
10. You need to ride the sky glider at least once.
11. Check out any of the free shows around the park. For instance, the Kids From Wisconsin are definitely worth checking out…
12. Check out shows at the Case IH Coliseum. I really enjoy the horse shows. Amazing.
13. Take a stroll through the expo building to see people selling all their nifty stuff.
14. Take a stroll through the animal buildings and meet some of the people who raise the food you eat.
15. Obviously you need fried cheese curds from Ben and Jerry’s.
I could go on and on… but I think you get the point. Admission is only $ 10 (and $ 5 if you buy the tickets during the off season). Food and alcohol can get pricey but there is cheap (and delicious) food you can find if you look for it! The free entertainment and cheap admission price make everything else worth it!