How the 2026 fair ran, what the Round Barn and grounds hold, and where to sleep and eat nearby.
A 150-foot round barn stands at the corner of Vine Avenue and East 17th Street, and for six days each August the whole fairground around it fills with livestock, carnival lights and grandstand noise. That is the Central Wisconsin State Fair, and the 2026 edition, the 123rd, ran Tuesday, August 25 through Sunday, August 30. This is a look back at how that week went, what the grounds hold, and what to line up near them when the next one comes around.
What the Central Wisconsin State Fair is
The Central Wisconsin State Fair is Marshfield's late-summer agricultural fair, held at 513 East 17th Street. WSAW reported in 2026 that it began in 1903 as a street fair, when an association sold 500 shares at $10 each to turn a horse-driving park into an annual agricultural exhibition. The fairgrounds include 66 acres reserved for fair use.
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Its organizers list 4-H and open class exhibits, midway rides and games, commercial exhibits, fair food and beer gardens. The fair's own site names a draft horse show, a family entertainment tent, a Wonders of Wisconsin tent and the grandstand.
The Round Barn at the center of the grounds
The barn is the fair's landmark, and it carries the title World's Largest Round Barn. It is 150 feet across and 70 feet high, finished in 1916, and the first fair held there ran that August 29 to September 1. The National Register of Historic Places listed it in 1997. Its roof carries 88,000 shingles, and wooden bleachers inside seat about 1,000 people around the show ring.
The fair's site says the Felhofer brothers won the $6,000 construction bid by building from the bottom up instead of using scaffolding. The same page lists tours for a $1.00 per-person donation, arranged by calling 715-387-1261, with the barn unheated and closed to rentals in winter. Call before you plan around a tour, since the page carries no date.
How the 2026 Central Wisconsin State Fair ran
WSAW's coverage on August 27, 2026 counted 25 carnival rides and 28 food vendors, with fish at Big Red's Dockside, gyros and fries among the food. Entertainment around the grounds included a circus, a pig race, a duck race and grandstand shows.
The agriculture side was hands-on. The Wheels of Agriculture game show ran all week near the Wonders of Wisconsin building, and a Trivia Tractor carried a mini version around the grounds. The same coverage listed an edible cranberry bog on Friday, a cream puff eating contest on Friday, tractor pulls on Saturday, a cheese curd competition on Sunday and a cranberry spitting contest daily at 3 p.m.
One regional events calendar listed the 2026 grandstand run as Hairball on Wednesday, Home Free on Thursday, Chris Young on Friday, Blackberry Smoke on Saturday and Rice Rodeo on Sunday at 3 p.m. The 2025 fair put Halestorm on its Saturday night, and one reviewer who surprised a spouse with tickets to that show recommends checking out the entire fair next year.
On price, sources do not line up. WSAW gave day passes as $10 for adults and $5 for kids, while Visit Marshfield's listing showed a range of $17 to $95 without saying what each figure covers. The fair's own ticket page is the place to settle it.
Crowds ran large. The executive director told the Marshfield Common Council that the 2025 fair drew about 62,000 people, with grandstand ticket buyers from 26 states. WSAW noted some years average 10,000 visitors a day over the six days. Weather has shaped recent years too: flooding drowned out the 2022 fair and excessive heat delayed the 2023 opening.
Planning for the next fair
Dates are announced each year, so the fair's own site is the place to find the next ones. The 2026 run followed a Tuesday to Sunday pattern, and WSAW described the 2025 edition the same way. Event pages do not publish parking details, so ask the fair office at 715-387-1261 before you drive in.
Where to stay near the fairgrounds
Three places sit within a mile of the fairgrounds along South Central Avenue. Each is covered with the rest of the town's hotels in Marshfield, and the three below are the closest.
Park Motel is about 0.5 miles from the fairgrounds at 1806 South Central Avenue. One reviewer calls it a roadside motel on a main road, clean enough and quiet enough, though motorcycles on Central Avenue can be heard.
Holiday Inn Conference Center is about 0.6 miles from the fairgrounds at 750 South Central Avenue. Its listing mentions an indoor pool and game room, but several reviewers report the pool closed, so confirm amenities when you book.
Hotel Marshfield, about 0.75 miles from the fairgrounds at 2700 South Central Avenue, lists a complimentary hot breakfast served at its on-site restaurant and a complimentary shuttle service. A reviewer who held a wedding there praised the staff, and others mention the breakfast.
Eating near the grounds
Nutz Deep II at 809 South Central Avenue is about 0.6 miles from the fairgrounds. Its site lists breakfast from 7 AM daily and a Friday fish fry from 11 AM to 10 PM, with plates from $13.99 to $19.99. Reviewers mention enormous appetizers and booth seating where families with small children eat, and a wall lined with taps.
Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, at 1200 North Central Avenue, sits about 1.8 miles from the fairgrounds and is a kid-friendly breakfast spot per its profile. A February 2026 reviewer praises the waffles and smoked sausage.
Wildwood Zoo, a free stop near the grounds
Wildwood Zoo is about 0.8 miles from the fairgrounds at 608 West 17th Street, which makes it an easy add before or after a fair day. For the wider list, start with things to do in Marshfield.
Whatever the week brings, the round barn at Vine Avenue and 17th Street has anchored every fair since 1916.
Frequently asked questions
Published September 28, 2026
