Wisconsin State Fair
| Wisconsin State Fair | |
|---|---|
| "A True Original" | |
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| Date(s) | 11 Days |
| Location(s) | West Allis, WI |
| Years active | 160[1] |
| Inaugurated | 1851[1] |
| Attendance | 911,231 in 2011[2] |
| Genre | State Fair |
| Website | www.wistatefair.com |
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.
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[edit] History
The first Wisconsin State Fair was held in 1851 in Janesville, with approximately 13,000 to 18,000 people in attendance.[3] The fair migrated to different towns before finding its permanent home in West Allis in 1892. According to state fair officials, 911,231 people attended the 2011 event.
During the 2011 fair a group of adolescent African Americans formed a flash mob and began allegedly attacking White[4] and Hispanic Americans.[5] Eighteen people, including seven police officers, were reported to have been injured during the event.[6] In addition there were reports of looting within the fair.[7]
[edit] 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 main draws. Murphy Brothers Exposition also provides a large midway, featuring carnival rides such as Rainbow Valley's Freak Out, Spin Out, Super Loops, Kamikaze, Double Shock, Yo-Yo, Sizzler, and many more. And for the first time, in 2010, Wisconsin State Fair introduces Comet 2, a forty-foot roller coaster.
The Grandstand Main Stage features a different 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.
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 is now one of the most popular agricultural events at the Fair featuring wines from dozens of Wisconsin wineries.
[edit] Fairgoer demographics[8]
- Average age of a fairgoer: 38
- 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
[edit] 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
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Wisconsin State Fair History
- ^ jsonline.com
- ^ History
- ^ "Witnesses describe mobs, some people claim racially-charged attacks". WTmj. 5 August 2011. http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/126825018.html. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
- ^ "Questions Arise Over Whether 'Flash Mob' Attacks in U.S. Cities Motivated by Race". Fox News. 10 August 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/10/flashmob-attacks-in-us-cities-raise-questions-over-possible-race-motivation/. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ Danielle Wright (12 August 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. http://www.bet.com/news/national/2011/08/12/wisconsin-teen-arrested-for-hate-crime-and-city-blames-black-families.html. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
- ^ "Philadelphia mayor blasts 'flash mob' race attackers as violent video and 911 calls released in Wisconsin State Fair chaos". Daily Mail. 9 August 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024223/Wisconsin-State-Fair-attacks-Philadelphia-Mayor-Michael-Nutter-blasts-racist-flash-mob.html. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
- ^ 2010 Wisconsin State Fair Attendance and Demographics
[edit] External links
- Wisconsin State Fair Park website
- End of 2005 State Fair press release (PDF)
- "Fun Fair Facts", source of demographics and attendance records
