Wisconsin State Fair Food: 175 Years of Cream Puffs, Sporkies and Family Fun

There are certain signs that summer has truly arrived in Wisconsin: warm evenings, live music, squeaky cheese curds and the delicious anticipation of eating our way through the Wisconsin State Fair.

At Milwaukee Food & City Tours, walking and tasting are two of our favorite activities. We spend our days leading walking tours, bus tours, and more that introduce guests to the foods, stories, and neighborhoods that make Milwaukee special. Naturally, when the Wisconsin State Fair returns, we’re ready to put those skills to work!

The 2026 Wisconsin State Fair takes place August 6–16 at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis. This year’s celebration is especially meaningful because the Fair is marking its 175th anniversary. That is 175 years of agriculture, entertainment, blue ribbons, midway rides, family traditions and, of course, unforgettable Wisconsin State Fair food.

Wow—175 years!

Just imagine how many generations of Wisconsin families have walked through the gates together, visited the animals, cheered during competitions and debated which food stand to visit first.

Interested in booking a tour with Milwaukee Food & City Tours? Check out our tour calendar for the latest tour openings.

Wisconsin State Fair Traditions Bring Families Together

For many families, attending the Wisconsin State Fair is an annual tradition.

Maybe your parents brought you when you were little, and now you visit with your own children or grandchildren. Perhaps your family always takes a ride down the giant slide, watches the livestock competitions or meets beneath the same familiar sign.

And then there are the Wisconsin state fair food traditions.

Some Fairgoers head directly for the cheese curds. Others insist on beginning with grilled corn, a corn dog or something delightfully excessive served on a stick.

For us, one question always rises above the rest:

What should we eat first?

Food has a wonderful way of connecting us to a place and to one another. A familiar flavor can bring back memories of childhood, family outings and summers from years ago.

That connection between food, place and storytelling is also at the heart of what we do on our most popular Milwaukee food tours such as our Tacos and Tequila Tour and Brady Street Lunch Tour.

The Wisconsin State Fair also makes a great date spot! Sharing fun food traditions and live music is a timeless way to connect. Explore more date ideas in Milwaukee in our full guide!

The Original Cream Puff: A Wisconsin State Fair Icon

No discussion of Wisconsin State Fair food would be complete without the Original Cream Puff.

Cream Puffs have been sold at the Wisconsin State Fair since 1924. Today, the Original Cream Puff is considered the Fair’s signature food and remains its most popular menu item. Approximately 300,000 of the cream-filled pastries are enjoyed during an average Fair.

The recipe is wonderfully simple: a light, golden pastry shell sliced in half and generously filled with fresh whipped cream.

Simple, however, does not mean easy to eat.

Do you pull the two halves apart? Use a fork? Take one enormous bite and hope for the best?

There may be no graceful way to eat a Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puff, but that is part of the fun! Wearing a little whipped cream on your nose is practically a Fair tradition.

The Original Cream Puff has now been delighting Fairgoers for more than a century. It is more than a dessert; it is a delicious reminder of Wisconsin’s dairy heritage and the generations of families who have shared this treat together.

Want to learn more about the foods that make Wisconsin famous? Check out our blog post famous Milwaukee food and more.

The Sporkies Celebrate Creative Wisconsin State Fair Food

While we love returning to traditional favorites, the Wisconsin State Fair is also a place to discover something completely new.

That is where the Sporkies come in.

The Sporkies food competition celebrates the Fair’s most inventive new dishes. Vendors create imaginative entries that may be fried, filled, stacked, drizzled or served on a stick (sometimes all at once).

Each year, the Sporkies finalists become some of the most talked-about foods at the Fair. Visitors search for the competing dishes, compare favorites and debate which creation deserves to take home the Golden Spork.

The competition has helped make new food one of the Fair’s biggest attractions. The Wisconsin State Fair now features hundreds of food and beverage locations, from experimental Sporkies creations to classic Wisconsin cheese curds.

Trying a Sporkies finalist is always an adventure. The combination may initially sound unusual, but we are usually willing to take at least one bite in the name of culinary research.

It is a difficult job, but someone has to do it.

We Walk, Taste and Discover Milwaukee Every Day

Our excitement about eating our way through the Wisconsin State Fair should not come as a surprise.

Walking, tasting and storytelling are what we do every day at Milwaukee Food & City Tours.

On our local food tours, guests experience Milwaukee one bite at a time. Along the way, we explore the people, businesses, immigrant communities and culinary traditions that have shaped our city. We have a tour for everything, whether you are interested in learning more about Milwaukee’s brewery and bar history, or looking to design a fully custom experience for private corporate events and bachelorette parties.

A food tour is about much more than sampling several dishes. It is about understanding why those foods matter and how they became part of a community’s identity.

That same spirit is what makes the Wisconsin State Fair so special. Behind every Cream Puff, family recipe and creative Sporkies entry is a story waiting to be discovered.

When we walk through the Fair, we approach it much like one of our Milwaukee tours: arrive hungry, remain curious and leave room for one more bite.

Tasting Our Way Around the World with Travel Deliciously

Our love of exploring through food extends far beyond Milwaukee.

Through Travel Deliciously, we take travelers on culinary adventures across the United States and around the world. Whether we are visiting a European Christmas market, tasting regional dishes in Italy or exploring the traditions of a neighborhood closer to home, food gives us a meaningful way to experience a destination.

We believe some of the best travel memories happen around a table, or in some cases, while standing beside a food stand with something delicious in your hand.

A destination’s cuisine tells us about its history, agriculture, immigration and family traditions. It allows us to connect with local people and experience a place through all five senses.

That is true whether we are tasting our way through Milwaukee, traveling internationally or wandering through the Wisconsin State Fair with a Cream Puff in one hand and a Sporkies finalist in the other.

Celebrating 175 Years of the Wisconsin State Fair

For 175 years, the Wisconsin State Fair has celebrated the farmers, bakers, makers, entertainers and communities that make our state special.

The attractions have evolved, and the selection of food has certainly grown, but the feeling of the Fair remains wonderfully familiar.

It is lively, colorful, nostalgic, occasionally messy and unmistakably Wisconsin.

We are excited to return, walk the grounds and eat our way through another year of Wisconsin State Fair food. Our list will undoubtedly include an Original Cream Puff, cheese curds and several Sporkies finalists, but we know there will also be plenty of unexpected discoveries.

Now we want to hear from you:

What Is Your Favorite Wisconsin State Fair Food?

What is the one thing you absolutely must eat at the Wisconsin State Fair?

Are you loyal to the Original Cream Puff? Do you make a beeline for cheese curds, grilled corn, potato pancakes or a favorite food on a stick? Are you always ready to try the newest Sporkies creation?

Share your favorite Wisconsin State Fair food with Milwaukee Food & City Tours and Facebook and Instagram, and follow along as we walk, taste and eat our way through 175 years of Wisconsin family fun!