Wisconsin State Fair canceled Sunday due to weather; West Allis residents struggle

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - The Wisconsin State Fair ended a day early after flooding forced organizers to cancel Sunday’s events on Aug. 10 – the 11th and final day of the fair.

Closing down the fair

What we know:

Crews were out Sunday cleaning up damage at 84th Street and Greenfield Avenue. While the water receded, debris remained scattered, with mulch pushed across the grounds by the storm.

Officials say no animals were hurt and all employees were accounted for.

The fair shut down early Saturday night. For anyone holding tickets for Sunday, officials say to keep them, as they can be exchanged for 2026 vouchers. That includes admission tickets, cream puff vouchers, bargain book vouchers, WonderFair Wheel vouchers, Spin City 50-ticket packs and Spin City any-day wristband vouchers.

Details on exchanges will be announced in September.

What they're saying:

The flooding forced the cancellation of Saturday night’s Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. CEO Shari Black said the fair nearly went ahead with the show but lightning forced an evacuation shortly after people entered the grandstands.

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"I personally was sitting with our meteorologists and we were going over what the weather looks like. And as all of you have meteorologists at your stations, you understand how rapidly the weather can change [...] We felt that we had an opening. We thought it could be perhaps 90 minutes to 2 hours that we could possibly squeeze in that main stage show, because we always want to have those shows for our fairgoers. If we have that opening. And so we decided to progress with that. Unfortunately, shortly after we started bringing people into the grandstands, suddenly lightning popped up," Black said. "The storm just kept building and we're told that there were storms upon storms, and that's why the rain was so heavy. There was so much pressure behind it, that it just kept building and producing more rain."

More on tickets

Dig deeper:

There will not be a make-up day in 2025.

For those who purchased parking passes or concert tickets through Etix, refunds will be issued automatically within two weeks. Customers who paid cash can receive refunds at the ticket office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Read the full statement below:

"After last night’s flash flooding resulted in the early closure of State Fair Park, Wisconsin State Fair officials have determined the Fair Park will not reopen for Sunday, August 10. We understand the disappointment you may feel as our team works all year for these 11 days. However, the safety of our Fairgoers, team, partners, and vendors will always be our top priority.

"If you purchased tickets to The "Happy Together" Tour for the show this evening through Etix, those tickets will be automatically refunded back to the purchaser.

"We are saddened we cannot deliver this final day of the Wisconsin State Fair, but know that this is the best decision with current conditions and the forecast ahead."

Organizers said tickets purchased through Etix will be automatically refunded in the coming days; it could take one to two weeks for refunds to process.

Anyone who bought tickets with cash at the fair's ticket office can visit the ticket office for a refund. It's open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and ticketholders must bring the original tickets and ID.

Cars submerged

Dig deeper:

Parts of West Allis also flooded, leaving cars submerged and forcing the fair to close early.

Sarena Farber said she was in "total shock" after discovering her 2019 Honda Civic floating on the curb of 83rd Street.

"I was freaking out. I ran back upstairs and I was having a little bit of a panic attack. That was absolutely insane. It doesn’t feel real. Honestly, the whole day today, I was just like it feels like a day dream," she said. "It’s crazy. My car was on the curb. It floated up onto the curb."

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In an underground parking garage at an apartment building, resident Deja described water filling up to the top of the door around 1 a.m.

"The cars are floating, bumping into each other," she said.

Now, crews are pumping the water out.

The rain was so heavy that many residents are now stranded without their vehicles.

"Yeah, I love that car. It was a good car," Farber said.

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