WI State Fair Begins: Guide To Food, Fun, Parking, Music And More

WEST ALLIS, WI — Wisconsin State Fair kicks off on Thursday with a host of new food and drinks to try, thousands of animals to meet, a suite of rides to upset your stomach, a variety of live entertainment and more.

New this year is the "Cirque at the Fair" touted as a free show that features dazzling aerial performances, acts of archery and more. The musical lineup features Lindsey Stirling, who is known for violin-driven electronic music; Tommy James and The Shondells, known for a host of pop culture classic tunes that have been covered by country and punk rock icons alike; REO Speedwagon, known for their nine consecutive Platinum albums from 1977-1989, and more.

Where to find information for Wisconsin State Fair 2023:

Explore a list of food options and exactly where to find them using the Food Finder.

Find a full schedule of daily events with this state fair online pamphlet.

Buy tickets to the fair ahead of time online or see where else you can buy them.

For 2023, the fair runs from Aug. 3-13. The cheapest way to get tickets is online, where prices are reduced by a dollar. Tickets are also available at the gate and through mail, but are more expensive, according to the fair's website. Here are admission prices:

• Adults 12 and older: $18.
• Seniors 60 and older: $13.
• Military and veterans with identification: $13.
• Children between 6-11: $13.
• Children under 5: Free.

On-site parking is also available at the fair on a first-come first-served basis, the fair website said. Entry costs $15 for a vehicle and $8 for a motorcycle. You can find parking at these gates:

• Gate 1 at West Greenfield Avenue and South 79th Street. Opens 6 a.m. daily.
• Gate 7 on Kearney Street (I-94 Frontage Road) between South 84th & South 76th Streets. Opens 9 a.m. daily.
• Gate 9 at West Pierce Street and South 76th Street. Opens 9 a.m. daily

For food and refreshments, there is no shortage of new, wacky and unique items to check out. The many food vendors that come to the fair have been cooking up a wild menu that includes alligator (from alligator ribs to deep-fried garlic gator toes), deep-fried apple pie, hush puppies with oyster sauce, and a chow mein topped with bugs (not to be outdone by last year's state fair offering of apples coated in June bugs).

Other more tame yet unique dishes include apple pie fries, arancini di riso, paella, bubble waffles, donuts, a brat inside a taco shell topped with kraut and cheese curds, chili cheese fried topped with cheese and ground camel meat chili, corn nuggets and more.

The drink concoctions have also seen some innovation for this year's fair, including an icy slush topped with one of the world's spiciest peppers, a mango tango Tajin drink and a brown sugar and sweet potato iced latte.

See also:

2023 WI State Fair To Include REO Speedwagon, Lindsey Stirling, More

New WI State Fair Foods In 2023 Include Alligator Toes And Spicy Slush

Acrobats And Aerial Artists Are Coming To Wisconsin State Fair In 2023