Deep fried brownies, created by R&W Concessions, is one of the new fair foods available this year at the Indiana State Fair. Chocolate brownies are dipped in funnel cake batter, then deep fried before being topped with powdered sugar and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Submitted photo
WHEN the Indiana State Fair fires up on Friday, people will flock to the fairgrounds for a wide variety of reasons.
Some people love the swirling, twirling midways rides. Others come for the livestock shows and 4-H projects from around the state. Free concerts and special exhibitions are popular draws as well.
But there’s one thing that nearly everyone can agree makes the fair special — the food.
“Food is rooted in why fairs exist,” said Anna Whelchel, chief marketing and sales officer for the state fair. “What people want at the fair is something wacky and different that they can’t get anywhere else. Food is the No. 1 reason people currently come to the Indiana State Fair.”
Visitors can indulge in a caloric cornucopia during the three-week run of the Indiana State Fair. The Taste of the Fair competition allows vendors to show off their creativity, to the benefit of all of the foodies that come to the fair.
People can follow the food trail maps, trying the different offerings, then vote online for their favorites.
“Fairs are all about the senses — the smells of the fair, the sights that you see, an overload of senses in all regards,” Whelchel said. “The food just elevates that. When you come to the property, you smell it and you have to taste it.”
New flavors include the tang of a pickle pizza, the heat of a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos walking taco and the savory overload of the Mac Diggity corn dog — a corn dog filled with barbecue pulled turkey and mac and cheese.
Get a sampling of everything that makes the fair memorable with the State Fair Charcuterie Board, which features mini funnel cakes, mini corn dogs, salt water taffy, cotton candy, caramel corn and popcorn.
To satisfy your sweet tooth, sink your teeth into a deep fried brownie or mint cookie milkshake.
Adults wanting to beat the heat can grab a Carmel Corn beer from Sun King, a Lemon Shake Up canned cocktail or a State Fair Mary — a 24-ounce Bloody Mary garnished with skewers stacked with waffle fries, deep fried cheese curds, mini corn dogs, bacon and a pulled pork slider.
“We challenge our vendors to come up with something different,” Whelchel said. “A lot of fairgoers come and they want their traditional items that they consume — their corn dog, their funnel cake, their lemon shake-up. But there’s also a fairgoer who wants to try something different and add to that memory that they’re making that at a particular fair.”
Here is a rundown of the new items available at this year’s fair:
Bison Lettuce Wrap
Where: Red Frazier Bison
What: Butter lettuce filled with ground bison, sweet onion, water chestnut, ginger, carrots, soy and hoisin sauce.
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos walking taco
Where: Meatball Factory
What: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crushed in the bag with taco meat, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, pico de gallo and sour cream.
Caramel Corn beer
Who: Sun King Brewing
What: This year’s Indiana State Fair brew is an ale made with 100 pounds of Just Pop In caramel popcorn in the batch.
Pickle pizza
Who: Swains Concessions
What: Homemade dough with a dill ranch sauce topped with mozzarella cheese, dill seasoning and dill pickles.
Deep fried brownies
Who: R&W Concessions
What: Gooey chocolatey brownies dipped in funnel cake batter, deep fried then topped with powdered sugar with a drizzle of chocolate syrup for chocolate lovers’ taste buds.
Deep fried cheese stick
Who: R&W Concessions
What: Mozzarella cheese dipped in corn dog batter then deep fried to a golden brown.
Peach shake up
Who: R&W Concessions
What: Fresh lemons, sugar, ice, and water along with peach flavoring.
Iced mocha coffee float
Who: Hooks Drug Store Museum
What: Hand dipped ice cream on top of a chocolate flavored iced coffee, topped with your choice of whipped cream and a cherry.
Boba Fun Cup
Who: Goodwin’s Pork-N-More
What: Vanilla ice cream layered with strawberry boba balls, sliced strawberries and gummy bears.
Nitro Fuel
Who: Goodwin’s Pork-N-More
What: Fresh brewed Lipton iced tea mixed with the world famous blue raspberry Lemon Twister.
State Fair Charcuterie Board
Who: Urick Concessions
What: Charcuterie, but fair-themed. This creation swaps out the traditional cheeses, meats, and nuts for mini funnel cakes, mini corn dogs, salt water taffy, cotton candy, caramel corn and popcorn corn topped with a sprinkle of colored candies.
State Fair Mary
Who: Urick Concessions
What: A 24-ounce Bloody Mary topped three skewers of fair food such as waffle fries, deep-fried cheese curds, deep-fried mac and cheese, mini corn dogs, bacon, fried pickles and a barbecue pulled pork slider.
The Original Cowpie
Who: Indiana Ribeye
What: A homemade chocolate chip cookie with creamy vanilla ice cream in the center and another chocolate chip cookie to top it off.
Vegan nachos
Who: Black Leaf Vegan
What: These all-vegan nachos are loaded with fresh tortilla chips, plant-based meat, coleslaw, pico de gallo and cheese, topped with creamy ranch, guacamole sauce and sweet teriyaki.
Pretzel nacho bites
Who: Wilson Concessions
What: Fresh pretzel bites covered in nacho cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, and bacon bits.
Mexican street corn in a cup
Who: Wilson Concessions
What: Roasted sweet corn, mayonnaise, hot sauce, cheese, and Mexican spices.
New crispy chicken sandwich
Who: Wilson Concessions
What: A crispy chicken breast on a fresh bun with your choice of toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mayo, mustard).
Lemon Shake Up canned cocktail
Who: Hi and Mighty
What: Hi and Mighty, a new craft spirits distillery on the Indiana State Fairgrounds, made this bubbly refresher that will remind you of the fair during the magic hour in the waning days of summer.
Pit-tatoes
Who: Indiana Pork Producers Association
What: Pit-Tatoes, potatoes loaded with pulled pork, shredded cheddar cheese, jalapeños and sour cream.
Mint Cookie Milkshake
Who: American Dairy Association Indiana
What: A mint cookie-flavored milkshake served with crumbled Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.
Quick quesadilla
Who: American Dairy Association Indiana
What: A quick quesadilla served with Indiana’s own Red Gold salsa.
Mac Diggity corn dog
Who: Gobble Gobble Food Truck
What: A corn dog filled with barbecue pulled turkey and mac and cheese.
