Thursday's Activities at the Central Wisconsin State Fair

Thursday, August 21st, 2025 -- 6:00 AM

The Central Wisconsin State Fair is underway and runs through this Sunday, August 24th. 

Cost for daily gate passes is $10 for adults 13 and older, $5 for children 5-12, and children 4 and under are free. Season gate passes are $35 for adults 13 and older, $15 for children 5-12, and free for children 4 and under.

The carnival opens at 2pm today and it’s Thrifty Thursday, so all rides are $2 each. Pay one price wristband from 2pm-6pm is $25 and from 6pm-10pm is $30. Vendors will be open today from 11am-9pm. Vendors will be open from 11am-9pm.

Some other fun and performances in the Family Entertainment tent today include the Hub City Jazz from 6pm-7:15pm, Bad Habitz bring their ages of rock to the stage from 9pm-Midnight, Tom Burt will be playing a variety of favorites from 11:30am-12:30pm and again from 4pm-5:30pm. Mia Brown will be playing a wide variety of music from 1pm-3:30pm.

Dominguez Attractions, a proud circus family, will have shows for adults and kids throughout the entire week of the fair. Their shows will be at 5:30pm-6pm and 6:30pm-7pm today. Kenny Ahern will bring his zany comedy shows all week at the fair. His shows will be from 1:30pm-2pm, 3:30pm-4pm, and 5pm-5:30pm today.

Pleasure Valley Pig and Duck Races will be happening during the week of the fair too. They will have shows from 12:30pm-1pm, 3pm-3:30pm, 4:15pm-4:45pm, and 6pm-6:30pm. Fairgoers may run into Ta-Da Robots each day of the fair as well.

The Wonders of Wisconsin Exhibit will return to the Lang Information Center this year with the theme of Wonders of Wisconsin Wildlife. The Sample Shack will also return, giving Wisconsin residents the chance to sample some of Wisconsin’s awesome products.

Contests in the Lang Information Center will be back this year. Today the Cherry Spitting Contest continues, which takes place at 3pm. Participating contestants will compete in age groups 10-17 and 18 and older.

Junior Fair judging for today includes dairy at 8am, the animal skillathon at 9am, small animal and cat at 9:30am, the Heeg Bros 75th Showmanship Reunion at 11:30am, the Junior Fair awards program at 1pm, and the junior fair animals will be released at 2pm. Open judging for today includes cats at 11am.

Grandstand tonight is Hairball bringing their rock & roll experience to the fair. Tickets are $25 for grandstand, $35 for trackside, and $45 for VIP.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.