The Wisconsin State Fair

Sometimes, things come together beautifully. One of our Wisconsin bucket list items is to attend the State Fair, and one of Caroline and John's YouTube artists that they follow was going to be there for a show - on Caroline's birthday! Trifecta of possibilities lay right in front of us.

Once I confirmed I could clear my calendar at work on a Tuesday, I planned to take Caroline's birthday off so that we could drive down to Milwaukee and the state fairgrounds to spend a few hours riding the rides, playing the games, seeing the exhibits and seeing YouTuber/animator/juggler/comedian Alex Clark, who Justin and I had never heard of but the kids were pretty excited about!

A big benefit of a weekday visit, of course, was that the crowds weren't bad, and the parking was pretty easy. We also happened to have a slightly overcast day, which made it pretty pleasant, even bordering on cool. We got our tickets, bought ride and game tickets for the kids, and headed for the midway.
 
A roller coaster and spin ride later, the kids wanted to try out the games. With a limited number of tickets, though, we did a bit of walking up and down to check out all of the options before they settled on trying their luck with ball throwing games.


John managed to break one of the bottles and win a prize - a rare occasion in my experience with carnivals and fairs!
winner winner chicken dinner!
Mom & Dad selfie while the kids ride a ride
With Alex Clark scheduled to perform at 1:00, we made our way through the animal exhibits and endless food booths to the performing stage. We got there as the earlier show was finishing up, which meant we got to snag almost-front row seats as the crowd turned over. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the kids were pumped to see this YouTube guy in person.
I would rate the show as mildly entertaining, and a good value for the money (the show was free, haha). Given the guys barely-B list celebrity, though, it also meant that he came out after the show to talk to people, sign autographs and take pictures, which thrilled the kids for sure.
A unique birthday, a Wisconsin bucket list item and two very happy kids. Hard to top a day like that.

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