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| The Wonder Wheel towers over an opening day crowd. 8/5/2021 dwm photo |
There was no State Fair in 2020, although we did get our annual Cream Puff thanks to the Wisconsin Bakers Association distributing the Fair treat around the state.
In 2021 there are still tinges of of the Coronavirus at State Fair Park starting with a later start time.
Our usual routine had us pulling inside the Milwaukee Mile oval to park around 8:30 then waiting patiently for Grand Champions Hall (the Flower Building for you long-time fair-goers) to open at 9.
This year no one got in the parking lot before 10:30! We were twelfth in line for that and got an ideal spot close to the tunnel. Not able to break our routine, we waited for the Flower building to open at 11.
There was a good crowd, but appeared to be done significantly from normal. As the day developed more people arrived, but it still had to be ten or twenty thousand fewer people than usual. In 2019, more than 95,000 people turned the turnstiles.
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| In 1891, the Wisconsin Ag Society bought the 160-acre George Stevens Farm. It's hosted the fair ever since. The Fair created Stevens Springs in honor of the family in the DNR Exploratory Park. 8/5/2021 dwm photo |
The Milwaukee Bucks didn't open their Milk House or merchandise area (I was planning to buy my Bucks Championship gear from them). There were no Root Beer Barrels throughout the fair selling the primary product along with other soft-drinks.
The absence of many of the usual exhibitors freed up space in the building where families could take a seat or contemplate whether they should go back and buy that item which could change their life.
Covid concerns reduced the crowd while the difficulty the fair and vendors had finding enough workers was the reason for the later opening.
There was no shortage of cream puffs, but the bakers didn't make any chocolate chip cookies or brownies this year. There was no line to purchase, pick up the fair treat, or find a table where we could enjoy it.
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| The Central Mall was updated with more places to sit. 8/5/2021 (dwm) |
While the Delta Variant of Covid is infecting growing numbers of unvaccinated people in Wisconsin there was no mask mandate in place.
We wore our masks indoors like many others. While we're confident in the protection from the Moderna shot, the mask is another way to keep us from accidently spreading any virus we may have encountered.
The less-crowded Expo Building meant we got through it in record time, so we headed over to secure seats in the newly named Bank Five Nine Amphitheater to see the Kids From Wisconsin.
The song and dance troupe were outstanding as usual with an especially impressive lead singer who also played a mean fiddle on "A Devil Went Down to Georgia." Making the show more enjoyable were additional sun screens placed above the outdoor seats.
After the Kids, we made our way to the Wisconsin Products Pavilion, but since we ate surprisingly good burgers from a Benno concession stand just before the show we weren't hungry for the always good baked potatoes. Before we left I made a return trip to the building to get a chocolate shake from a new partner in the pavilion.
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| The crowd along Grandstand Avenue at 3:30 when it is usually shoulder to shoulder. 8/5/2021 dwm photo |
While it was great to be at State Fair, it wasn't the big crowds we missed, but the six or seven others in the family who usually attend.
Their absence meant we didn't have to plan meet-ups or schedule what we were going to do at a certain time, but it also meant we couldn't compare notes; hear about that booth you can't miss or negotiate whether to get an elephant's ear or deep-fried Oreo before heading home.
The two of us were true to many of the traditions including stopping to locate the family bricks around the Central Avenue fountain.
New grass was planted around that fountain which we noticed while waiting to see the flowers but by early afternoon the sun and crowds turned the vibrant green to harried and battered dry brown.
I came home with a couple treasures. I picked up the 2021 fair pin for my collection (I have the 2020 pin sold last year with no fair to attend) and finally found the replacement wallet that I've been searching for the last few years (I bought two so I already have its replacement).
I'm glad State Fair is back and very glad we attended. Hopefully in 2022 the Wisconsin State Fair will be even more "normal."
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| The Wonder Wheel before it began taking passengers as seen from in front of Exploratory Park. 8/5/2021 dwm photo |
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