Gov. Tony Evers shares advice for eating Wisconsin State Fair cream puffs without the mess (2024)

How do you eat a cream puff at the Wisconsin State Fair without making a mess?

Gov. Tony Evers — arguably one of the most vocal supporters of the annual tradition — has a way to enjoy the sweet treat "in order not to make a complete fool of yourself."

"You have to get it in half. That way you're not getting it all over yourself. You kind of take it, twist it a little bit, and then one side comes up. That's the only way to eat it," Evers said. "I know it's a lot more fun to get it all over your face and all over your clothes, but I prefer eating it rather than worrying about taking a shower."

Another part of eating a cream puff 'Evers Style"? Taking a few home, putting them in the freezer and later cutting them in half with a sharp knife. That cuts down the mess even more.

"It's a perfect food," Evers told the Journal Sentinel at the Wisconsin State Fair Wednesday afternoon.

The history of politics and cream puffs at the state fair

Wisconsin governors and cream puffs have a long history. The Original Cream Puff debuted at the fair in 1924 at the request of John Blaine, Wisconsin's 24th governor, who wanted to showcase the state's dairy industry.

100 Objects: The history of the Wisconsin State Fair cream puff

Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker also championed cream puffs at the State Fair, requesting $6 million in his state budget in 2017 to renovate and expand the Cream Puff Pavilion. And in 2021, Evers encouraged people to get a COVID-19 vaccination at the State Fair and sweetened the deal with a free cream puff.

This year, Evers issued a proclamation declaring Saturday, Aug. 10, as Cream Puff Day across Wisconsin in honor of the food's 100th anniversary at the fair.

There was some pushback of the Democratic governor's move — Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Evers should be paying more attention to issues like crime and inflation than cream puffs.

State fairs are a common summer appearance for governors, senators and other politicians, especially in the Midwest. Neighboring Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the new running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, recently went viral for going on a Slingshot ride with his daughter in 2023.

Evers said he's been attending the State Fair with his wife, Kathy, for 55 years. Sometimes, he can be spotted serving up the cream puffs to customers.

"We usually end up talking about politics, something that's concerning them or something that they think went well," Evers said. "They don't usually ask me about cream puffs, because they're already in line. They've already purchased it. It's mainly, 'Hey, how's it going?' or 'Why did you do this?' or 'Why didn't you do that?'"

Evers also attended the State Fair last week, posting a video of himself standing with a brat and a cow-print baseball hat at his hip. It was a reference to "Brat Summer," a meme that has resonated with young voters after pop singer Charli XCX endorsed Harris.

"It's just a fun place. People are here not to talk about politics too much. They're here to have fun," he said. "It's always fun having people recognize you and having a chance to talk to them."

More: 'Brat summer' vs bratwurst summer: How Wisconsinites are reacting to trend on social media

New specialty cream puff flavors available at Wisconsin State Fair for 100th anniversary

For the first time, limited-edition flavored cream puffs are being offered at the State Fair. The first 1,924 visitors each day can get a taste of one of the new flavors: root beer float, raspberry cheesecake, English toffee or chocolate birthday cake.

Evers hadn't tried one of those flavors yet but said he's "up for anything." At the end of the day, the original cream puff is the best, he said.

The English toffee flavor is still available through Friday, and the chocolate birthday cake flavor is only available Saturday. The state fair ends at 10 p.m. Sunday.

According to Evers' proclamation, it's estimated that 50 to 60 cream puffs are purchased each minute at the fair, bringing the total to 400,000 cream puffs consumed each year.

More: Wisconsin State Fair 2024: Dates, cost, discounts, carry-in policies and other need-to-know info