Wisconsin

Your guide to the 2024 Central Wisconsin State Fair at the Marshfield Fairgrounds

Published

2 years ago

August 15, 2024

Your guide to the 2024 Central Wisconsin State Fair at the Marshfield Fairgrounds

The Central Wisconsin State Fair returns to the Marshfield Fairgrounds Aug. 20-25 with live music, a demolition derby, bull riding, carnival, classic fair foods and more.

MARSHFIELD − The Central Wisconsin State Fair returns to the Marshfield Fairgrounds, 513 E. 17th St., Aug. 20-25 with fun and activities for all ages.

This year’s activities include live music, a demolition derby, bull riding, animal judging, a carnival, classic fair food favorites, a variety of vendors and much more.

Here’s your 2024 guide to the Wood County fair.

Who is performing at the Central Wisconsin State Fair?

Dylan Scott, Hairball and Daughtry will headline the grandstand at this year’s Central Wisconsin State Fair.

Dylan Scott will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Scott is a singer and songwriter with country hits including “Hooked,” “Nobody,” “My Girl” and “New Truck.” He has been nominated as best new country artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, earned the 2021 CMT Music Award for breakthrough video of the year, and was a 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards nominee for new male artist of the year.

Hairball will return to the fair at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 by popular demand. Hairball is a rock band that plays homage to acts like Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey and Aerosmith.

Daughtry will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23. Daughtry is a rock band fronted by namesake Chris Daughtry, who finished fourth on Season 5 of “American Idol” in 2006. The band is best known for its hits “What About Now,” “It’s Not Over,” “Home” and “No Surprise.”

What else is happening in the grandstand?

Rice Rodeo Co. will perform “Bulls, Broncs -N- Barrels” at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24. The show includes bull riding, comedy, special acts and other entertainment.

Obsession with Destruction Demolition Derby will start at 2 p.m. Aug. 25. Drivers will battle to see who can make it to the finals for a chance to win prize money.

How much does grandstand admission cost?

Dylan Scott: $35 for grandstand seating, $45 for trackside standing and $75 for VIP seating
Hairball: $25 for grandstand seating, $35 for trackside standing and $45 for VIP seating
Daughtry: $40 for grandstand seating, $50 for trackside standing and $80 for VIP seating
Bulls, Broncs -N- Barrels: $25 for those 13 years and older, $15 for youths 5 to 12 and free for children 4 years and younger
Obsession with Destruction Demolition Derby: $25 for those 13 years and older, $15 for youths 5 to 12 and free for children 4 years and younger

This year, purchasing grandstand tickets includes the cost of gate admission, if purchased before entering the fair. Season tickets do not include grandstand entertainment when tickets for shows are required. Tickets can be purchased online at centralwisconsinstatefair.com/p/tickets or at the fair office.

When will the carnival be open at the fair?

Mr. Ed’s Magical Midways returns to the Central Wisconsin State Fair and will offer a new schedule this year. The carnival will be open starting at 2 p.m. Aug. 21-23 and at noon Aug. 24-25.

Wristbands will be available for $25 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 21-23 and noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 25, for $30 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 21-23, and for $35 from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 24. Individual ride tickets also will be available for purchase daily, according to the fair’s website.

Wristbands are not valid on the bumper cars or Gravity Storm bungee jump. Wristbands can be purchased in advance at the Mr. Ed’s website at mredsmidway.com.

Local youths will showcase projects and animals during the fair

Hundreds of Wood County youths will exhibit thousands of projects as part of the Junior Fair. The Junior Fair allows youths to display their projects and get feedback from state-licensed judges.

Junior Fair animal judging takes place daily and includes everything from horses, dairy, beef, rabbits and sheep to cats, llamas, swine, goats and poultry.

Non-animal projects will also be displayed throughout the fair in the Junior Fair Exhibition Building. Projects include everything from woodworking, photography, cultural arts, and food and nutrition to health and citizenship, youth leadership, knitting and crocheting, and mechanical sciences.

There will also be a Dress-A-Cow contest at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Jer Lang Show Palace, and Pleasure Valley Pig & Duck Races multiple times throughout the week. The Central Wisconsin State Fair Horse Pull will start at 6 p.m. Aug. 23, and the Meyer Farms 10 Horse Pyramid Hitch draft horse show at 6 p.m. Aug. 24.

How much is admission for the Central Wisconsin State Fair?

Daily admission to the fair costs $10 for everyone 13 and older, $5 for children 5-12 and free for children 4 and younger. Season gate passes are $30 for adults, $15 for children and free for those 4 and younger. Season passes can be purchased in the fair office or on the website at centralwisconsinstatefair.com. Daily admission passes can be purchased at the gate on the day you arrive.

On Tuesday only, tickets are half price for adults and free for children 12 and younger. Those who enter at Gate D (at the corner of Peach Avenue and 17th Street) between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tuesday are admitted for free.

Senior Citizen Day is Wednesday, and adults ages 62 and older will be admitted to the fair for $5 from open to close with a valid ID. Wednesday is also Veterans Appreciation Day, and all active and retired military personnel and their spouse or significant other will be admitted to the fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $5 with a military ID.

Take advantage of the BOGO special from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 24. Buy one adult pass and get the second adult or child pass for free.

How much does it cost to park?

Parking at the Central Wisconsin State Fair is free, and visitors are encouraged to park in the general parking area, which is located by Gate D. It is a grassy area off of Peach Avenue and 17th Street, according to a fair spokesperson.

Where can I find more information about the fair?

For more information, visit centralwisconsinstatefair.com or find Central Wisconsin State Fair on Facebook.

Check out these 6 sunflower fields: Enjoy a summer stroll & photo opportunities in these sunflower fields in central Wisconsin

Editor Jamie Rokus can be reached at jrokus@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jamie_Rokus.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin multi-county police chase, 2 people from Illinois arrested

Published

6 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin multi-county police chase, 2 people from Illinois arrested

article

Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office

FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wis. – Two people from Illinois were arrested following a police chase that started in Fond du Lac County and ended in Winnebago County on Friday, May 8.

Initial traffic stop

What we know:

According to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, just after 1 p.m. the sheriff’s office got an alert for a stolen vehicle out of Illinois heading northbound on I-41 from County Road Y.

It was learned that the vehicle was involved in two different police chases in the past week in Illinois, but had eluded officers each time.

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A short time later, a deputy spotted the vehicle on I-41 near Winnebago Street. The deputy continued to follow the suspect vehicle northbound, waiting for more deputies to get into position to attempt a high-risk traffic stop. Once those deputies were in position, a high-risk traffic stop was conducted. The vehicle initially pulled over and stopped, but right after deputies got out of their squad cars and started telling the people to get out of the vehicle, it instead fled northbound on I-41.

Chase into Winnebago County

What we know:

The chase went into Winnebago County, with the vehicle failing to pullover and instead speeding up. As the chase continued, the vehicle continued driving recklessly, passing by other vehicles on the interstate, including passing on the shoulder and weaving between vehicles, all at a high rate of speed.

The vehicle exited I-41 and ran three red lights. The chase continued southbound on State Highway 26, with the vehicle continuing to pass vehicles at a high rate of speed on the two-lane highway.

The vehicle then went off the road and drove through the yard of a home before circling around in the yard, traveling through the ditch, and reentering the highway going northbound. It then went into a field near County Road Z and Clay Road.

As a sergeant with the sheriff’s office was moving in to perform a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT Maneuver), the suspect vehicle went into reverse and rammed the front of the squad. The vehicle then attempted to leave the field by traveling through a ditch and back up onto the road, where another sheriff’s squad ended the chase by intentionally striking the vehicle and pushing it off the road and back into the ditch.

The vehicle rolled over in the ditch, came to rest upright, but was then disabled and could not move. Two people got out of the vehicle and were taken into custody. The vehicle started on fire and a fire department had to respond to extinguish the fire. Both people from the vehicle were evaluated by medical personnel on scene.

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Facing charges

What we know:

The driver of the vehicle was identified as a 23-year-old man from Des Plaines, Illinois. He was taken to the Fond du Lac County Jail on the following charges:

Fleeing/Eluding an Officer
1st-Degree Reckless Endangering Safety (2 Counts)
Resisting/Obstructing Officer
Delivering Illegal Articles by Inmate (Ecstasy Pills).

The driver’s criminal history in Illinois was flagged as armed and dangerous with previous weapons offenses, dangerous drug offenses, and criminal damage to property.

The passenger of the vehicle was identified as a 23-year-old woman from Franklin Park, Illinois. She was taken to the Fond du Lac County Jail on the following charges:

Fleeing/Eluding—Party to a Crime
1st Degree Reckless Endangering Safety—Party to a Crime
Possession of THC
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Resisting and Obstructing an Officer

The Source: The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office sent FOX6 a press release.

Police ChasesFond du Lac CountyNews

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Wisconsin

Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars

Published

18 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars

The Wisconsin stepmother from hell accused of abusing her 35-pound 14-year-old daughter by depriving her of food and water has entered a no-contest plea in the twisted case.

Melissa Goodman, 52, now faces up to 46 years in prison if she’s handed the maximum sentence for charges of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage and false imprisonment.

She’s set to be sentenced on July 1.

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, have been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter. Outagamie County Jail

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, has been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter.

Goodman’s daughter Savanna Goodman and her girlfriend Kayla Stemler were also charged over the alleged abuse, People reported.

The family is accused of locking the teen in a bedroom without a mattress, restricting her to only her room for years and depriving her of food and water, according to Wisconsin prosecutors.

The mobile home they lived in became a house of horrors for the teenager, who was mistaken for a 6-year-old when she was found by cops in August 2025 and rushed to the hospital.

Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill.

Responding officers found her weighing just 35 pounds; she was hospitalized with multi-organ dysfunction, including respiratory failure and pancreatitis.

Melissa Goodman — Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill. WBAY TV-2 | Green Bay, WI/YouTube

From 2020 until August 2025, the victim, whose name is not disclosed because she is a minor, was allegedly isolated in a trailer on Hattie Lane, in Oneida, Wisconsin.

Extended family members were told she was away on vacation or with other relatives to explain her absence.

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Wisconsin

‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair

When “Song Sung Blue” – the biopic about Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder – had a premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee last December, star Hugh Jackman gave Claire Sardina (played in the film by Kate Hudson) an engraved bench honoring Lighting & Thunder to be installed at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

In August, Sardina will get to have a seat on that bench – and sing again on a State Fair stage.

Sardina will perform with tribute act So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience Aug. 9 at the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater, the largest stage at the fair featuring free concerts with admission.

For Sardina, it will be a return to a place central to Lighting & Thunder. The band performed in the Milwaukee area from 1989 until Mike Sardina, aka Lightning, passed away in 2006. The State Fair was one of their favorite places to play, and the couple got married there in 1994.

The couple’s wild story – from a performance at a Pearl Jam Summerfest concert to major health issues – was the subject of the documentary “Song Sung Blue” that inspired the biopic, and earned Hudson an Oscar nomination for portraying Claire Sardina.

Fair officials May 8 revealed the full headliner lineup for the stage, which includes: