Wisconsin State Fair

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Wisconsin State Fair

The State Fair's "snowflake" logo, in use since 1972 to advertise the year round use of Wisconsin State Fair Park[1]
Genre State fair
Dates 11 Days
Location(s) West Allis, WI
Years active 160[2]
Inaugurated 1851[2]
Attendance 911,231 in 2011[3]
Website
www.wistatefair.com
Grandstand Avenue, Wisconsin State Fair
Winner of State Fair racing in 1981

The Wisconsin State Fair is an annual event held at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. The modern fair 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.[4] 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.[5]

When the second fair was held in Milwaukee in 1852, fairgoers took their carriages for rides around the Cold Spring Race Course. 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, Fond du Lac, Madison and Milwaukee, until 1892, when it was first held at its permanent and present location at Wisconsin State Fair Park.[5]

During the 2011 fair hundreds of adolescent African Americans formed a violent flash mob and began attacking White[6] and Hispanic Americans[7] who were leaving the fair grounds. Eighteen people, including seven police officers, were injured during the event.[8] There were also reports of looting within the fair.[9] At least 31 people were arrested.[10]

Events and entertainment

Yearly features at the fair include a wide variety of vendors, many local and national bands, the Kids From Wisconsin, 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, the Wine Garden features wines from dozens of Wisconsin wineries.

Fairgoer demographics

  • Average age of a fairgoer: 38[11]
  • 89% of fairgoers reside in Wisconsin – half of them live in metropolitan Milwaukee
  • Average visits to the fair: 2 times
  • Average hours spent at the fair: 6 hours

Notable attendance records

  • Total attendance record: 938,658 in 1990
  • Opening-day record: 98,625 in 2009
  • Total recent attendance record: 911,231 in 2011

See also

References

  1. ↑ Walker, Don (25 March 2011). "State Fair Park logo gets new look". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 14 August 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wisconsin State Fair History
  3. ↑ jsonline.com
  4. ↑ History
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wisconsin State Fair History
  6. ↑ "Witnesses describe mobs, some people claim racially-charged attacks". WTmj. August 5, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2012. 
  7. ↑ "Questions Arise Over Whether 'Flash Mob' Attacks in U.S. Cities Motivated by Race". Fox News. August 10, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2012. 
  8. ↑ Danielle Wright (August 12, 2011). "Wisconsin Teen Arrested for Hate Crime and City Blames Black Families: In response to the recent violent flash-mob attacks in Milwaukee, the Common Council uses African-Americans in the community as a scapegoat.". BET. Retrieved January 5, 2012. 
  9. ↑ "Philadelphia mayor blasts 'flash mob' race attackers as violent video and 911 calls released in Wisconsin State Fair chaos". Daily Mail. August 9, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2012. 
  10. ↑ Walker, Don and Mike Johnson, State Patrol called in, youth policy imposed after violence at State Fair, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 5, 2011
  11. ↑ 2010 Wisconsin State Fair Attendance and Demographics

External links

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