Wisconsin State Fair final day; 2024 closes with sunshine, good times
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - The 174th Wisconsin State Fair comes to a close on Sunday. Since 1851, Wisconsinites have gathered to celebrate the state's agrarian roots with food, music and commerce.
After opening day rain and a humid first weekend, the weather was beautiful for the fair's final day.
"That did hurt our attendance a little bit," State Fair Park's Kristi Chuckel said of the early weather.
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Vendors see uptick
While opening day storms hurt some vendors' sales, that quickly turned around. Those who spoke to FOX6 on Sunday said sales the past few days have been fantastic.
"As soon as the weather improved, our sales shot up," said David Abstetar with New Berlin Lions Club Corn Roast. "Rain chases people away, and heat – people aren’t interested in hot corn when it is hot."
Final day of 2024 Wisconsin State Fair
The several-day stretch of good weather helped make up for the slow start, but sales at the roasted corn stand were just below average overall.
"We did see some bigger weekdays, which we love," said Chuckel.
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For other vendors, like Taylor Goddard at FairWear, sales were up 20% – and the weather was to thank.
"This is a record-breaking year for sales," Goddard said. "Every day feels like a crowded event, lots of people coming."
Attendance bounces back
State Fair employees told FOX6 that Saturday was the busiest day by far. The fairgrounds were again packed with people on Sunday – including two who got engaged. Chuckel said attendance was at pre-pandemic numbers.
There were no major incidents either, employees said Sunday afternoon; everyone was well-behaved.
Final day of 2024 Wisconsin State Fair
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"The crowd has been really respectful, I feel like people are being kind to one another, they're being patient," said Chuckel. "I think the weather helps that, of course, but all around, our staff keeps saying that this has been a really great fair."
Organizers said once one year's fair ends, planning for the next starts right away. If you're feeling down about the end of another fair season, there is more to come at State Fair Park, including Harvest Fest. You can find a list of events on the Wisconsin State Fair Park website.