State Fair Park officials review the state fair after what’s being called a successful event. They are discussing the good, the bad, and what could be better.
Wisconsin State Fair Park communications manager Patrice Harris says it’s all about making it a better experience for visitors. That includes keeping people safe and preventing mob scenes like the incident that occurred on opening night. “It’s obviously something that will be looking at and working with law enforcement agencies around the area and the State Patrol. We’d love to see all of them back here, not only in 2012 but in the coming years with the same presence that they had this year. That’s something that we’ll be talking to them about.”
Harris says experts are trying to figure out the psychology behind the rash of flash mobs around the country. She says as they plan and prepare for next summer’s fair, officials will try new ways to keep on top of things, including social media. “See if we can get wind of it, you know, them stirring it up before they get here. Use things like social media, try to track it that way.”
Critics responded to the violence with suggestions of moving the state fair to a different location. Harris says venders and fairgoers are happy in West Allis. “It’s a great location, it’s the perfect place for urban to meet rural and we are not even remotely considering relocating the fair.”
Harris says the fair has been at that location even before residents lived in the area; trying to find a new location that could sustain such a huge event, and several others throughout the year, would be nearly impossible.
