Wisconsin State Fair Celebrates 125th Year In West Allis

It’s Wisconsin State Fair time, an 11-day extravaganza of food, agriculture, competition, entertainment and rides. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the state fair grounds in West Allis.

Wisconsin’s first state fair was in 1851 in Janesville. Different cities took turns hosting the fair for the next few decades. The fair didn’t make its permanent home in West Allis until 1892, when the State Agricultural Society purchased farmland owned by the Stevens family.

Part of the appeal of the annual fair is the new attractions and competitions. In 1939, for instance, the state fair would select the “healthiest boy and girl” in the state to compete on the national level. The 1939 state fair also featured a mini cranberry bog and a robust canning competition with space allotted for conserves and jellies. Spectators could also watch chicken plucking demonstrations and motorcycle races.

In 1946, the Wisconsin State Journal boasted that this year’s fair would feature the “finest parking facilities of any state fair in the nation.” Add this to the 6,000 gallons of fresh paint to “assure fair patrons of the cleanest, most wholesome exhibition in history.” Two years later, the first Alice in Dairyland debuted at the state fair.

Musical entertainment and celebrities joined the standard agricultural exhibits to attract more people in the mid-20th century. With more people living in towns and suburbs, the traditional displays of tractors proved less appealing. In the 1950s and 1960s, movie and television stars appeared at the state fair. Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evans performed their western-themed show several times in the 1950s. Johnny Carson headlined the 1968 state fair.

In recent years, attention has gone to the newest, and often craziest, food offerings. This year’s items include cricket nachos, a cinnamon and sugar coated corn dog, and the always popular on-a- stick offerings such as sangria and bacon wrapped olives. They join longtime favorites like the cream puff, a state fair staple since 1924.

The Wisconsin State Fair runs through Sunday, Aug. 13.