{"id":47340,"date":"2021-01-26T11:25:10","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T17:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wistatefair.com\/fair\/?p=47340"},"modified":"2025-08-12T12:06:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T17:06:34","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wistatefair.com\/fair\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

History of Wisconsin State Fair<\/h1><\/div>
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The Wisconsin State Fair has a rich history dating back to 1851 when the first State Fair was held in Janesville along the banks of the Rock River.<\/h3>\n

The State Fair has evolved over time to meet current trends, including large farm machinery displays in the late 1800s, aviation demonstrations in the early 1900s, the war efforts in the 1940s, hot entertainment acts since the 1950s, the space race in the 1960s, new and crazy food trends in recent years, and much more.<\/h3>\n

Read on below for a quick glance at the State Fair’s long history by the decade.\u00a0For more information on annual attendance numbers, please visit our page on State Fair Attendance<\/a>.<\/h3>\n<\/div>
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\"1936<\/span><\/div>
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History Highlights<\/h2><\/div>
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First State Fair Held<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Years Old in 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Years at State Fair Park<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Past State Fair Locations<\/h2><\/div>
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The very first Wisconsin State Fair was held in Janesville along the banks of the Rock River. For the next 40 years, the site of the State Fair changed annually with stops in:<\/p>\n