State Fair Has 80 New Foods, Vendors For 2026
Freeze-fried cheese curds, insect-crusted cake and cheese in every form for Aug. 6-16 fair.
Wisconsin State Fair. Photo taken August 1, 2019 by Jeramey Jannene.
With less than a month left before its Aug. 6 debut, the Wisconsin State Fair has announced 80 new food options and four first-time vendors for the 2026 event.
Far from the funnel cakes and cotton candy of yore, modern additions to the annual lineup stray from the traditional, often bordering on absurd. In 2011, one vendor gained quick notoriety for its deep-fried butter. This year, the fair is taking it one step further with deep-fried ranch.
All Family Concessions will mark its inaugural year with a riff on the Midwestern favorite, mixing ranch dressing with cheese and buttermilk, adding a crispy panko shell and serving the finished product with — you guessed it — a side of ranch.
Indulgent eats, including churro-stuffed doughnuts and caramel apple cheese curd tacos, also made the list, continuing the fair’s fascination with fusion mashups.
Another trend, food on a stick, is represented this year by Bugged Out Frozen Cheesecake On-a-Stick, an adventurous take on traditional cheesecake featuring caramel and ant filling, a chocolate shell and crunchy worm and cricket sprinkles.
Other notable offerings include Camp Bar’s egg roll à la mode, Original Cream Puffs’ limited-edition Fair-aschino Cherry flavor, freeze-dried cheese curds from Everlasting Eats and a savory slushy topped with Parmesan cheese and croutons.
Each of the 2026 Sporkies and Drinkies entries is also included.
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a longtime presence at the fair, where it’s a leading supplier of fresh cheese curds to concession stands that batter and deep fry them. This year, the company will sell its own fresh, pre-packaged curds for the first time. The exclusive two-ounce pouches of natural cheddar, garlic, pizza and jalapeño dill flavors will be available at Brad & Harry’s concession stand.
The full list of new foods and beverages is available online. Visitors can also use the fair’s Food Finder to search for returning favorites by vendor or by category.
Along with All Family Concessions, the deep-fried ranch purveyor, new vendors include Dale Z’s, which also operates a southside pub; Yuengling Beer House; and Lulu Tanghulu, which will serve the popular Chinese candied fruit to fairgoers.
Deals and discounts
Crazy Grazin’ Day, held this year on Aug. 11, offers reduced-price, sample-sized items from more than 30 locations throughout the 200-acre grounds, allowing guests to try a wide variety of foods without overtaxing their stomachs or wallets.
A map of participating vendors will go live on the Wisconsin State Fair website in the coming weeks.
The fair’s $11 meal deal will also return in 2026, as will the Bargain Book and Cream Puff 6-pack voucher, both now available for purchase online.
The 2026 Wisconsin State Fair, presented by T-Mobile, returns for its 175th anniversary from Thursday, Aug. 6, through Sunday, Aug. 16.
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