Wisconsin State Fair unveiled its newly renovated Dairy Building, a list of over 100 new food and beverage options for this year’s event, and a line of new merchandise at a fair preview event on Friday afternoon.
The Dairy Building, formerly known as the Original Cream Puff Pavilion, recently underwent a $12.5 million redesign and transformation—its first update since it opened in 1909. Over the last year, the new Dairy Building received a complete makeover with new features including an enhanced kitchen for Cream Puff production and an entirely new layout with space for vendors and events. The hope is to increase the fair’s Cream Puff production and surpass its average of 400,000 pastries sold per fair, according to Wisconsin State Fair chief executive officer Shari Black.
The project was completed alongside the fairgrounds’ other improvement initiatives which included new asphalt in and around the Milwaukee Mile racetrack, new Agricultural Village signage and new restroom facilities, which now feature more toilets and family bathrooms.
“As stewards (of the Dairy Building and the Wisconsin State Fair campus), we owe it to our future generations, particularly the agricultural community we serve, to advance, promote, celebrate, protect and redevelop this tremendous Wisconsin economic engine,” said Black.
In addition to its facility updates, Wisconsin State Fair will roll out a variety of new food items for its 174th State Fair, of which several could contend for the fair’s funkiest offering.
All Things Jerky will serve some of the fair’s most interesting options like a Bavarian Cream Bug Donut, Chicken N’ Waffle Jerky, a Cricket Choco Chunk Cookie and an Iced Larvae Latte.
Some other new items include hot honey jalapeño popper donuts from Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts, a Meatloaf & Mash Bomb Pop from Leff’s Miller Lite Sports Bar & Grill, Mexican street corn pizza from Charlie’s Pizza, and deep-fried tequila donut shots from Gooonie’s Fish & Beer Shack. See all the new food items listed on Wisconsin State Fair’s new foods list.
The Wisconsin State Fair will take place over 11 days starting Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, Aug. 10. Musical performances like Boyz II Men with Bobby V, NE-YO with Bryce Vine, and Darius Rucker with Uncle Kracker as well as performances by comedian Gabriel Iglesias and KIDZ BOP LIVE will headline the fair’s Bank Five Nine Main Stage.
Shortly following the fair, NTT IndyCar and Indy NXT will return to the Milwaukee Mile on August 23-24 to race for a second year as part of a three-year contract with the track.
