Opening day of the Wisconsin State Fair drew thousands, despite lingering smoke in the air from Canadian wildfires.
Following record high attendance last year, the fair opened on Thursday morning with over 100 new food and beverage options as well as a new Dairy Building.
The 2024 Wisconsin State Fair set a record-high attendance of 1,136,805, up 9% from 2023.
Among its standard offerings like Wisconsin cheese curds and corn on the cob, the 2025 fair features new items like Mexican street corn pizza from Charlie’s Pizza, a blueberry breakfast bratwurst from Milwaukee Brat House, and a Purple Rain Refresher from Rock & Roll Beer Garden, all of which were nominated for the 2025 Sporkies & Drinkies.
The Purple Rain Refresher as well as the Ube Butter Banana French Toast Lumpia from Lumpia City took first place in this year’s Sporkies & Drinkies. Second and third place awards were given to the Brat Rangoon from Würstbar and the Mexican street corn pizza, respectively.
The fair also debuted its new Dairy Building, formerly the Original Cream Puff Pavilion, which underwent a $12.5 million remodel over the past year. Fairgoers packed the new building on day one for a single or multi-pack of the fair’s beloved cream puff, now in original, chocolate or strawberry flavor. The newly renovated building is aimed to help the fair surpass its goal of selling more than its yearly average of 400,000 cream puffs.
Country music group Midland with Southall headlined the Bank Five Nine Main Stage on Thursday evening, kicking off a series of other musical performances by artists like Boyz II Men with Bobby V, NE-YO with Bryce Vine, and Darius Rucker with Uncle Kracker. Comedian Gabriel Iglesias and KIDZ BOP LIVE will also headline the Main Stage later in the fair.
The Wisconsin State Fair began on Thursday, July 31 and will run through Sunday, Aug. 10. Shortly following the fair, NTT IndyCar and Indy NXT will return to the Milwaukee Mile at State Fair Park on August 23-24 to race for a second year as part of a three-year contract with the track.
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- A scene from day one of the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- Milwaukee Brat House’s Blueberry Breakfast Bratwurst, a nominee for the 2025 Sporkie Awards.
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- The Purple Rain Refresher from Rock & Roll Beer Garden, Winner of the 2025 Drinkie Awards.
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- Kids from Wisconsin performs at the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater on day one of the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- A fairgoer at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s cash grab booth.
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- A scene from day one of the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- A tug-of-war competition ensues on day one of the fair.
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- Cream Puff vendors are scattered around the Wisconsin State Fair grounds.
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- The fair is hoping to sell over 400,000 cream puffs this year inside its newly renovated dairy Building.
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- Tropics Frozen Cocktails at the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- Clydesdale show horses on display on day one of the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- Crowds gather at a horse show on day one of the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- Wurstbar’s booth at the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- Crowds roll in on day one of the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- Wisconsin State Fair’s Pork booth, selling a variety of pork items on a stick.
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- Fairgoers dress in Wisconsin-themed tees for day one of the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- The fair’s Giant Slide is open on day one of the Wisconsin State Fair.
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- An employee at Cedar Crest serves ice cream inside the newly renovated Dairy Building.
