Reporting by Anya Sesay, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
State Fair isn’t exactly known for its butterfly-inducing romance.
In fact, most of the couples I saw on opening morning, Aug. 6, seemed to be reluctantly trailing behind a packed stroller and an overstimulated child or two.
But something about the Ferris wheel, summer sunsets and general overindulgence convinced me that State Fair might just be the perfect place for romantic declarations, first dates, and altogether gushy moments.
Nicklaus and Leah Rueda practically owe their relationship to the Wisconsin State Fair. The Milwaukee-area natives have been married since 2022, and they’ve been honoring the role State Fair played in their union for the last nine years.
In 2017, when Nicklaus was still a freewheeling bachelor, Nicklaus opened up his West Allis lawn for State Fair parking, hoping to make some extra cash. And one August day that year, he saw a girl he would never forget sitting in the passenger seat of one of the cars parked on his lawn.
“I was, for lack of better words, obsessed right away,” Nicklaus said.
After a brief interaction, he looked her up on social media and messaged her. Leah, who had planned to return to the fair with her roommate later that week, invited Nicklaus to join them. Though she didn’t think it was a date at first, as the night went on, her perspective shifted.
“I think we just had a really good time,” she said, laughing. “There’s a lot of stuff to talk about and look at at Wisconsin State Fair, so I feel like no matter what it’s like, it’s easy to keep a conversation going and keep it light.”
In the nine years since that first “date,” the couple has celebrated their anniversary at State Fair with a step-by-step recreation of that fateful day. They even park on the same lawn.
“You really get to know, ‘Can I have fun with this person?,’ rather than, ‘I need to get to know this person.’ It really gives you the opportunity to find out if you naturally click,” Nicklaus said, of going on a date at State Fair. “That’s the reason this whole thing worked to begin with.”
Bringing out the little kid in you
According to data from a 2024 Eventbrite survey of dating habits among Gen Z and Millennials, 42% of single people want to step out of their comfort zones on dates. Seventy-two percent of active daters measure the success of a first date based on whether they had fun, and about 30% of both men and women believe a unique experience is crucial in determining whether a first date will lead to a second.
In other words, people are ditching the dinner date in favor of something that prioritizes whimsy, excitement and novelty.
For local dancer Marissa Furfaro and her boyfriend, Mitchell Tap, State Fair offers just that.
The two literally skipped, hand-in-hand, around the fairgrounds on opening night. Was their buoyancy innate or evidence of romance in the fair’s air?
A bit of both.
“[The fair] brings the kid out in yourself,” Tap said. “Normally we’re just dancing – at least I am. She definitely brings out the goofy side.”
The two have been dating for nearly seven months, making this their first State Fair as a couple. Part of what made it so fun for them was doing something simply because the other person wanted to. Despite his fear of heights, Tap conquered the Ferris wheel with Furfaro, just before the two skipped down the street as though the world were entirely their own.
A place for music lovers, foodies and a lot of hand-holding
I asked every couple I talked to at State Fair whether they considered it a romantic place. By the fourth interview, I was ready for their slightly confused looks. Not one person enthusiastically nodded their head, but every couple still said it was a great place for a date.
Each had a distinct reason why.
There were music lovers like Cruz and Marci Sanchez, who’ve been coming to the State Fair together since they started dating eight years ago. I caught them on their way to see Wire and Nail on opening night.
“I told my friend she had a million-dollar smile, and I’m going to marry her one day,” Cruz said, explaining how he met Marci.
Then there were foodies like Anna and Emanuel Rodriguez-Sigala, who got a babysitter for their kids so they could walk the grounds hand-in-hand, indulging in every one-of-a-kind food option.
There also were State Fair first-timers like Emily Markert and Tiara Gails, who wished for little more than a ride on the Skyglider.
Even couples who were overwhelmed by the crowds and chaos, like Briseyda and Kayla Argumedo, found bliss in the simple act of holding tight to one another’s hands and walking the grounds under the setting sun.
A tradition that must be upheld
Shu Marali and Gray Berendt weren’t sure what draws them back to State Fair every year.
“I’m from Chicago, so I don’t really do this. Every time I come here, I’m kind of weirded out,” said Marali, who’s come to his past three State Fairs with his partner, Berendt.
Marali and Berendt said they enjoy the people watching, food and animals, but one of their sweetest traditions is trying to relive moments from their first State Fair together.
I met an older couple at the Skyglider exit. They’ve been married since 1988 and coming to the State Fair for longer than either can remember. It’s tradition, they told me.
They both said that State Fair glistened with more romantic magic when they were young lovebirds, but they could’ve fooled me. I watched them ride the Skyglider from Spin City to the Expo Center like two people giddily in love, her head nestled into his shoulder as they floated above the bustling crowds.
I rode it after them to end my night. Purely for research purposes, of course. As I did, the sun sank beautifully into the West Allis skyline, painting the horizon every shade of pink and orange.
I can now resoundingly confirm there is little more to do atop the Skyglider than wax poetic about your life and think wistfully about love, as timeless rock ballads blare from below. If I had a boyfriend I’d have called him immediately; but alas, I had another interview to get to.
Anya Sesay covers arts and culture for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Send her story ideas, things to see and people to meet at asesay@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Instagram @anyanic0lette.
Anya’s reporting is supported by the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation, the Maine-based Rabkin Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin State Fairgoers find love in an unlikely place
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