Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wisconsin State Fair Hosts Another Million Visitors

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Wisconsin State Fair Hosts Another Million Visitors
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 08/17/2017

For the fifth year in a row, the 166th annual Wisconsin State Fair saw over a million people pass through the gates during its 11-day run. Organizers say good weather and quality entertainment helped bring out the crowds each day. In the end, 1,028,049 fairgoers showed up to take in the festivities, which is about 12,000 people more than last year, but 5,000 short of breaking the all-time record set in 2015.

The Governor's Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction celebrated its 49th anniversary auctioning off 25 animals including market steers, barrows and lambs, raising nearly $267,000. A portion of the auction proceeds are awarded to the youth exhibiting the champion animals and the balance is used to produce the auction and support youth agriculture programs and scholarships. Many animals were donated to charities by buyers.

Entries from the meat products show were donated to the Governor's Blue Ribbon Meat Products Auction, which raised $130,000 this year to support 4-H members in the state. And the Blue Ribbon Cheese & Butter Auction also raised a record $56,700 for youth scholarships and dairy promotions.

The 2017 fair sold 408,000 cream puffs and thousands of glasses of lemonade. Another 125,000 visitors slid down the Giant Slide.

Next year's Wisconsin State Fair will take place August 2-12, 2018.

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