The $20 challenge is an OnMilwaukee.com tradition that requests the editors to spend a Jackson on the Summerfest and State Fair fairgrounds.

During Summerfest this year, for example, the editors were challenged to get the most bang for their buck and buy as much as possible with a 20 spot.

Other years, the challenge was to buy the most ridiculous item they could find, which resulted in publisher Andy Tarnoff owning a box of ShamWows that were, unfortunately, very disappointing.

This year, the State Fair $20 Challenge has fewer parameters, and the editors were simply asked to spend the $20 however they wanted, and here's what they blew it on.

Molly Snyder
Staff writer
I was tempted to spend my $20 entirely on 25-cent cups of flavored milk, but I didn't.

Instead, I searched for something unusual and not on a stick to spend my $20 on, and so when I stumbled upon "Brandles," I knew I had found it. Brandles are augmented bottles of beer, wine and liquor that are filled with soy candles instead of libations. Florida-based bartender Bryan Turner says he got the idea at work one night, while pouring a glass of Grey Goose. "I thought 'this is a really a cool bottle' and then the idea came to me," he says. "And I like to drink a lot." Brandles -- named to represent the word "candle" and "your favorite brand of alcohol" -- cost between $15 and $35 and are available in a wide variety of bottles, including Jack Daniels, Patron, Stoli and more. I scored a Guinness Brandle for $20 and now, I'm looking forward to boozing by candlelight in the near future.

Drew Olson
Senior editor
I feel oddly at peace strolling through the bustle of the Expo Center at State Fair, probably because I spend a lot of late-night hours working at the computer while TV infomercials play softly in the background.

I like watching the pitchmen ply their wares and marvel that they can talk non-stop for hours on end (they should all be employed in radio). In a previous challenge, I came away with a window-cleaning squeegee (used once), but this year nothing inside the Expo grabbed me, so I didn't grab anything.

Since our task this year included food, I grabbed a great cheesesteak ($7) from a kiosk near the Expo and washed it down with a small Miller High Life ($4.50). That filled me up enough to stay away from the cream puffs and other fare as I walked around with the family.

Just when I was thinking that it was going to be difficult to spend my remaining $8.50, we returned to the Expo to beat the heat and my wee one asked if she could take a turn on the trampoline/harness contraption that allows kids to do flips. She'd done it before and loved it. When she said, "If it's too expensive, I don't have to do it," I was a goner. I happily plunked down the $8 and happily watched her flip around for a few minutes. With 50 cents left, we had enough for some flavored milk and headed for the exit.

Bobby Tanzilo
Managing editor
Because we couldn't allot our $20 to food in the past, I went food crazy with my dough this year at the Fair. And that's only right because I typically drop 90 percent or more of my cash at the fair on food and drink.

I had my favorite lunch -- potato pancakes ($4.50) and a large Miller High Life ($5.50) at Cracovia, where I usually wash it all down with a live polka combo. After tooling around the park a bit, I stopped in to see what's up with Wisconsin wineries and spent $5 on six tokens to sample the Badger State wine wares. Because the only fruit I really want in my wine is the grape, six tokens gave me a good overview of what's out there (although there are definitely more than six wines worth checking out in the building).

Later, I was hungry again, so I dropped my last five-spot on an Italian sausage sandwich with peppers at Mille's, a Fair classic.

Andy Tarnoff
Publisher
Spending exactly $20 at State Fair is a little harder than it looks, considering I've already purchased a Shamwow at the fair (it didn't work very well). This year, I went wholesome. I bought a squeezably soft mini bee pillow ($18) for the little one, as well as a whole bunch of flavored milk. I say a whole bunch since each cup only costs $.25. So eight cups of strawberry, root beer, banana and chocolate whole milk rings in at $2, which is more than any man, woman or child can consume. However, bring the whole family and it's possible. And delicious, too. Thanks, Sen. Kohl.

Andrew Wagner
Staff writer
My ability to wander during the fair is often limited; I spend most of my time in and around the barns. Still, there are a few items on my annual checklist which I simply cannot go without. I enjoy the popular Herb Kohl Milk House, but I'd rather stroll down to the Wisconsin Products Pavilion and enjoy the pint-sized Golden Gurnsey Milk Chug ($2) to start things off. I'll need the extra liquid, because I could spend an entire day in this building.

First up, the Duck fajita ($3). Delicious. Once that's settled, a grilled cheese sandwich ($2) is next on the list. By now, it'll be time for a little walk and after a while, my stomach is getting tempted by smells again. Bring on the jumbo turkey leg from Mike Murphy's ($7) before heading back to the Products Pavilion for an ice cream sundae ($3) and a slice of pie ($3). That, my friends, is a fine day of eating.