Summer may be on its way out, but there is still fun to be had as we soak up these last few weeks of sunshine. With the Wisconsin State Fair happening this week and the Minnesota State Fair getting set to start in a couple weeks, we at GiftWorksPlus thought it was only fitting that we share some of the wildest facts about these beloved traditions.
Minnesota & Wisconsin State Fair Facts
1. The Wisconsin State Fair has been going on since 1851 - 170 years ago! The Minnesota State Fair came along only 8 years later in 1859.
2. For America’s Dairyland, it’s no surprise that cream puffs are a popular State Fair treat. But did you know that each year roughly 350,000 cream puffs are sold at the event? They are the most popular food sold at the Wisconsin State Fair.
3. Abraham Lincoln spoke at the Wisconsin State Fair in the year 1859! According to Radio Milwaukee, his speech focused on labor and education. Incidentally, his train to Wisconsin had arrived late and his room had been given to someone else, which left him to sleep on a cot in an office.
4. There are quite a few interesting new foods at the Wisconsin State Fair this year, including Cinnamon Roll and Bacon Cheese Curds, Deep Fried Pink Squirrel, and (for the more adventurous eaters) Gator Claw on a Stick.
5. Presidents love the Minnesota State Fair! Teddy Roosevelt gave his “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick” speech at the MN State Fair in 1901.
6. Famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about the MN tradition in his short story “A Night at the Fair.”
7. All Minnesota natives know and love Sweet Martha’s Cookies as a State Fair staple. But did you know they are the top selling food at the fair? In 2018, they raked in over $4,000,000 in cookie sales!
Commemorate Your Day at the Fair
Whichever state fair you visit this year, be sure to snap some pictures of you and your family and friends enjoying the events, rides, foods, music and more! Then, visit our website for a custom frame to showcase your photos of your favorite state fair memories. You can even engrave the frame with the location and year to keep the memory alive for years to come!