4 interns took on a Wisconsin State Fair bucket list on opening day. How did they do?
As I made my way from the main gate to the giant slide on the opening day of the Wisconsin State Fair, I overheard a lot of familiar sentiments.
"It's a good idea to get cheese curds at 10 in the morning, right?"
"OK, guys. Do I want to drink beer or milk? Beer or milk?"
"Wait, what? I don't have cash for the giant slide!"
That last one might have been me talking to myself. Even though I've been attending State Fair every year for what seems like my whole life, I always forget that the giant slide is cash-only.
This opening day, I was on my way to meet four Milwaukee Journal Sentinel interns, who would be seeing how many classic State Fair things they could do in two hours.
20 must-do things at the Wisconsin State Fair
Here's the list that our interns, Hope Moses, Skyler Chun, Fernanda Galan Martinez and Megan Woolard, were working from.
Eat a cream puff.
Take a ride down the giant slide.
Try a cup of flavored milk.
Find an animal with a "Wisconsin" name.
Find a weird item for sale in the expo center.
Find a good pun on State Fair merch.
Eat an ear of corn from the New Berlin Lions Club corn roast stand.
Ride the sky glider.
Visit Smokey Bear's schoolhouse.
Watch the pig races.
Eat something deep-fried or on a stick.
Eat a food item for less than $3.
Find a baby animal.
Find a blue ribbon-winning competition item.
Take video of someone doing live entertainment.
Go on a ride or play a game at the midway.
Watch a cow or a goat being milked.
Learn something new from a master gardener or DNR expert.
Eat something from the Wisconsin products pavilion.
The food
All the interns — except Fernanda, who is lactose-intolerant — tried the cream puff and flavored milk. Skyler — who had never had a Wisconsin State Fair cream puff before — took the first bite. It's always interesting to see how a person is going to eat a cream puff. Take it apart and dip pieces of the pastry into the whipped cream? Eat all the whipped cream with a spoon? Or just tackle it like a sandwich? Skyler did the sandwich thing, and she quickly discovered that a Wisconsin cream puff is "good, but so big."
As for the flavored milk, they tried the root beer flavor and all agreed it tasted like a root beer float. However, Megan — an experienced State Fair-goer — isn't a fan of the increased cup size (and price). "I like when you just got a smaller cup for 50 cents. Then you just get a taste of milk, which is all I want."
Megan also checked two other food items off the list. She ate maple-flavored cotton candy from the Wisconsin Products Pavilion, which she found disappointing — she really wanted a baked potato, but the line was too long. She had a better experience with the bug brownie on-a-stick from All Things Jerky.
"It looks like there's ants and scorpions and mealworms," she said as she took a bite. "The scorpion tastes like a salty piece of Chex Mix. People should get this!"
The interns didn't get the chance to try a Sporkies finalist as they made the wise and Wisconsin-appropriate choice to make a side trip for beer and cheese curds instead.
I tried a Sporkies item, though; I've been wanting to try the dill pickle doughnut from Fluffy's Hand Cut Donuts ever since I learned about it in June. A lot of people I've talked to about the donut have been skeptical because they imagine a weird pickley sweet combination of flavors. This donut, though, is savory. A slightly sweet pastry is topped with cream cheese, dill and pickle slices. And it's delicious. It reminds me of a fluffy bagel.
The animals, plus a game
Many people think a trip to the fair is incomplete without seeing animals. I'm not one of those people; I have family members who get horrible allergy symptoms upon entering the animal barns. But the interns are some of those people.
They saw cows and rabbits, and Hope even got to pet a goat. "I was terrified," Hope admitted. "This might sound weird, but I know the goat rolled their eyes at me. I think they knew I was scared."
The interns also fully enjoyed one of the most classic State Fair activities — the pig races. They cheered on the pigs, and Fernanda felt that the song choice accompanying the race (Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger") was a fun touch.
Fernanda also tried her hand at a midway game. She paid $5 for three chances to pitch a baseball far enough to win a jersey. "I failed miserably," she said.
Is it possible to complete a must-do Wisconsin State Fair list in two hours?
That depends. A must-do list is very individual, something I learned when I tried to compile it. But this list? The interns agreed that it would be difficult to complete all 20 items in two hours. They did a good job, achieving just over half of the items.
Megan pointed out that part of the problem is scheduling. The pigs only race, and the goats are only milked, at specific times. And you also lose time if you encounter a long line for something popular like cream puffs or baked potatoes.
The interns recommend planning ahead and consulting the State Fair website if there are specific things you for sure want to do. That's also a good idea if there are specific foods you want to find.
As she prepared to walk several blocks to the Uber waiting area at the main gate, Fernanda recommended entering the fair through the gate that's closest to the things you want to do.
Is it smart to complete a must-do Wisconsin State Fair list in two hours?
Probably not. Why? Because it's way too hot to do so safely. You need to pace yourself when you're at the fair.
Make sure you stay hydrated. There are multiple places to buy drinks and water at the fair. You can also bring empty bottles (and souvenir cups) into the fair to fill with water once you get onto the grounds. There are multiple bubblers and water filling stations at the fair.
Take advantage of shade where you find it. Many of the vendors have seating under tents or roofs. Parts of Exploratory Park are wooded. And you can always find shade inside an animal barn.
Go inside buildings when you get too warm outside. The interns were relieved to go inside the Wisconsin Products Pavilion to get a break from the sun. And the Expo Center has air conditioning.
The interns also recommend wearing sunscreen, comfortable shoes and a hat.
If you go
The Wisconsin State Fair runs Aug. 3-13. Hours are 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10 a.m.- midnight Thursday through Saturday.
What's on your must-do Wisconsin State Fair list? What tips do you have for getting those must-dos checked off? Let me know at amy.schwabe@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How many Wisconsin State Fair bucket list items can you do in 2 hours?
