Wisconsin State Fair Wraps Up With Over 1M Visitors, 300K Cream Puffs

WEST ALLIS, WI — The number of visitors to the Wisconsin State Fair in 2023 topped 1 million, with about 40,000 more people in attendance over last year, fair organizers announced in a news release Wednesday.

The West Allis grounds closed out its 172nd annual celebration with 1,043,350 fairgoers this year, the news release said. Here are some other metrics to put the event's scale in perspective: The Wisconsin Bakers Association served around 307,000 cream puffs during the 11-day fair run, while WürstBar served its Beer Cheese Wisconsin Lava Cakes over 25,000 times.

“We’re blown away by the commitment our incredible Fairgoers, exhibitors, vendors, and staff have that continue to make the Wisconsin State Fair a time-honored tradition,” said Executive Director and CEO of Wisconsin State Fair Park Shari Black in a news release. “Thank you to all who helped showcase our state during the best 11 days of summer.”

There were over 10,000 entries for exhibits and animals that were judged and showcased, while the Governor's Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction raised over $400,00 in benefit of Wisconinsin's youth agricultural programs and for scholarships, fair organizers said.

The giant slide marked 100,000 rides this year, and the all-new "Cirque at the Fair" saw around 25,000 visits, the news release said.

Organizers said next year's fair, set for Aug. 1 through Aug. 11 in 2024, is already in the works.

Last year's fair also surpassed 1 million fairgoers with a 19 percent increase over the year prior.

See also: WI State Fair Attendance Topped 1 Million In 2022, Organizers Say