The Wisconsin State Fair is like New York Fashion Week for agriculture. Posed and poised for the top prize, everything is ready to be photographed and consumed; the animals have been groomed, the flowers and vegetables are vibrant and shiny, and the food stalls are competing for the crowd’s appetites.
Since 1851, the Wisconsin State Fair has been the place to celebrate the immense contributions of those who work the land, who care for its animals and provide delectable bounty to the people of the state. Organizers of the 11-day event estimated a new record-breaking attendance with 1,136,805 people in 2024.
At the Grand Champion Hall, a judge seriously examined a dozen peppers. They had cakes, brews, quilts and floral arrangements. Dave at the Rose Society booth showed off a pink blossom called “Ruthie”, named after and registered by his nonagenarian grandmother, who proudly owns 200 roses in pots.
Dairy products were everywhere, from the grilled cheese sandwiches, various deep fried hunks of cheese on a stick and innovative culinary concoctions. The Milk House offered a variety of milk flavors; there was a contest between salted caramel, strawberry cheesecake, root beer and cookies and cream. There was also an unofficial contest to consume the famous, gargantuan cream puffs without getting messy.
The most boisterous crowd might have been at the pig races. It’s as you would imagine except the animals didn’t seem to care about speed. They moved languidly and one even stopped to eat a snack on the race track.