“Don’t forget your Elegant Farmer pies!” the Wisconsin Harvest Fair website reads.
Wisconsin State Fair Park may be known primarily for its titular State Fair, but the venue also hosts other events year round, including one this weekend: Harvest Fair.
This Friday through Sunday, the Harvest Fair will offer a variety of attractions including amusement rides, pumpkin carving and tractor mazes. Lumberjack shows and music are also on the calendar.
The music includes mostly country with other genres such as classic rock and hip-hop. Country band Bella Cain, hip-hop group Too White Crew and classic rock band Almighty Vinyl are among the artists playing at the park.
Performances will be spread across the duration. Food will be provided throughout.
“I always love food at state fairs,” Nicholas Pikarski, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.
While he has never attended the Wisconsin Harvest Fair, Pikarski said he thinks students, himself included, might be interested if they go with a group of friends.
Jaque Contreras, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, said fall is one of her favorite times of year. She said Harvest Fair would probably be fun to attend, and that some of her friends are going to Apple Holler, a similar seasonal happening taking place in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Although she has not been to the Harvest Fair, she said she has visited the grounds during the Wisconsin State Fair.
A Late Night excursion could help festival attendance, Contreras said.
“Most likely, like if there were to be a Late Night Marquette (excursion) to this event I feel like people would go just because it’s not super far away and it seems fun,” Contreras said.
Alex Morrison, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, has not attended the Harvest Fair, but said he was particularly interested by “the farmers market and the lumberjack shows.”
The farmers market will take place throughout the fair and will sell fresh produce from Centgraf Farms, 100% organic bourbon-aged maple syrup from B&E’s Trees, honey from East Troy Honey, fresh kettle corn from Ernie’s Kettle Corn and various salsas from Salsa Man, to name a few vendors.
“I like going to farmers markets,” Morrison said. “I cook a lot so I like seeing more, fresher ingredients than a supermarket.”
Morrison said the lumberjack shows also caught his interest.
“Being from the Pacific Northwest, there’s definitely a lumberjack vibe that is always there, and I like seeing more realistic lumberjacks,” Morrison said.
The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show is scheduled for each day at various times and will feature wood chopping, axe throwing and humor.
Ethan Porembski, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, said the event could be beneficial for people from outside the area.
“I definitely think non-local students should go because then they’ll get a better taste of what is Milwaukee and what is Wisconsin, so I think it would represent the area pretty well to go to the (Harvest Fair),” Porembski said.
The Harvest Fair canass provide an opportunity for students to explore what Wisconsin has to offer, and could give them a reason to leave the “Marquette bubble.”
