In 1961, my parents took me to my very first Wisconsin State Fair to see
Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and of course Trigger! Even if I was only 6
years old, I can still remember going down to the front of the
grandstand to see Roy ride Trigger into the stadium. I remember sitting
on the top of the cement barricade and Mr Rogers stopping right in
front of me, he said something to me....I could not utter a word....but
to this day I remember the feeling of adrenalin coursing through my
veins at the excitement of seeing my childhood hero!
This
year the Wisconsin State Fair celebrated 161 years of presenting one of
the most family-friendly
and affordable entertainment experiences of Wisconsin’s summer season.
And although the Wisconsin State Fair's location has moved several times
in its 161 years, it has remained in its current location in West Allis
since 1892 where it has had its home for 120 years. Historically, the
first ever Wisconsin State Fair was held in 1851 in Janesville, WI; was
contained in a six acre plot; held over two days; with attendance
around 13,000-18,000, with the major attractions being a 200-pound
squash and a quarter-acre plowing competition; and cost a dime to
attend!
The most popular item at the Wisconsin State Fair is, of course, the "Cream Puff". But did you know there is history behind this traditional pastry? The story behind the Wisconsin State Fair's Cream Puff starts in the summer of 1924, its
creation
stemmed from of the installation of the first Dairy Bakery. The culinary masterminds of the Wisconsin Bakers
Association and the State of Wisconsin embarked on a mission to
establish and operate a bakery that would exclusively use Wisconsin
dairy products. In fact, last year, the Wisconsin State Fair was crowned with the prestigious
honor of producing the world’s largest Cream Puff by the Guinness Book
of World Records. The monstrous Cream Puff weighed over 125 pounds! To
this day, the bakery still uses the same original recipe and Wisconsin
products that they did in 1924 and its estimated that the bakery sells over 130,000 puffs each year.
Just one more little tidbit as a Historical Side Note: Did you know that the Wisconsin State Fair was cancelled in 1861, 1862
and 1863 (set to be held in Madison) due to the Civil War
and instead became training camps for volunteer troops and was renamed
Camp Randall...where years later the University of Wisconsin's Football
Stadium was built? Who knew? Now you do!
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In 1961, my parents took me to my very first Wisconsin State Fair to see
Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and of course Trigger! Even if I was only 6
years old, I can still remember going down to the front of the
grandstand to see Roy ride Trigger into the stadium. I remember sitting
on the top of the cement barricade and Mr Rogers stopping right in
front of me, he said something to me....I could not utter a word....but
to this day I remember the feeling of adrenalin coursing through my
veins at the excitement of seeing my childhood hero! 
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