Alice’s Adventures at the 175th Wisconsin State Fair
My experience at the 175th Wisconsin State Fair was an easy five-star review. Some may think that spending all 11 days of the Wisconsin State Fair walking the grounds and connecting with exhibitors and fairgoers would be tiring… and that would be correct, to an extent. However, the energy I gained from being at the State Fair, surrounded by agriculture and passionate advocates, made the miles I walked seem like nothing!
I spent the majority of my time visiting Dairy Lane or exploring the Wisconsin Building. In Dairy Lane, I talked with fairgoers about the importance of our dairy industry, not only with our dairy cows, but also our dairy goats. Each year, Dairy Lane has a beautiful educational exhibit about how our milk becomes cheese, the different breeds of dairy cattle, and so much more.
Dairy Lane also offers four dairy cow milking demonstrations per day and three dairy goat milking demonstrations per day. Wisconsin is home to 1.29 million dairy cows and nearly 80,000 dairy goats that provide high-quality milk for our favorite dairy products! I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be the spokesperson for a few of these demonstrations and teach fairgoers about the process of milking our dairy animals. An added benefit? Getting to share delicious Wisconsin cheese at the end of the demonstration!
In the Wisconsin Building, I visited with Something Special from Wisconsin™ members and enjoyed a few of our Wisconsin commodities. There were tons of wonderful Wisconsin products and delicious Wisconsin food options. Every single time I walked into the Wisconsin Building, I took a deep breath and enjoyed the smell of Wisconsin. It's difficult to pick a favorite, but I'll share what I ate most often. If you met me in the Wisconsin Building, you probably met me with a grilled cheese, a baked potato, or a shake.
In addition to these foods tasting good, they were often a highlight of my daily stage presentation in the Wisconsin Building. Each day I shared the story of our $52.8 billion dairy industry, how to make your own butter, and the impact of the nearly three billion pounds of potatoes we produce annually in Wisconsin! I loved seeing the magic of Wisconsin come alive for many people as they made their own butter.
After my presentation, I joined the audience and heard some amazing State Fair stories. From the couple that met at the State Fair 60 years ago and have come back every year since, to the family with four generations celebrating together, the State Fair provides such a strong community to connect with.
Although I loved the food, the excitement, and the adventures of the State Fair, what I loved the most were the people. Every day I visited Grand Champion Hall for a new gorgeous corsage made by Deb, saw Jill Albanese, Competitive Exhibits & Park Beautification Director, traveling around the grounds with infectious energy, talked with the team of people who make the shows possible, saw friends and family from across the state, met new exhibitors and fairgoers, and always had a home base with the team in Dairy Lane. Thank you for an incredibly amazing time as Alice in Dairyland at the State Fair, whether we talked for 10 seconds or 10 minutes!!
To catch up on my adventures at the 175th Wisconsin State Fair, visit the Alice in Dairyland Facebook and Instagram to access all the interviews, youth agriculture challenges, sights of the State Fair, and daily recaps!
