State fairs across the United States are more than just annual events—they’re cultural gatherings that celebrate local history, traditions, and of course, food. Annually, millions of visitors travel to these fairs, eager to indulge in unique eats and experience the latest trends in fair cuisine.
What’s New in 2025
This year marked a shift from comfort classics to global fusion, viral inspiration, beverage sophistication, and hyper-indulgence.
From outrageous indulgences to global mashups, the fair food landscape in 2025 reflects bold creativity, global flavors, and attention to novelty. Here are some top-level trends:
- Fusion & Viral Formats: Think Somali beef suqaar fries, tandoori quesadillas, and Dubai chocolate funnel cake fries—embracing TikTok-ready mashups across fairs.1, 2
- Flavor-Focused Beverages: Innovators like Loon Lake Iced Tea are serving pickle‑infused iced tea, while Texas fair contenders feature elaborate concoctions like Pop Rocks Margaritas and coconut slush cocktails.2
- Deep-Fried & Bacon-Heavy Themes: Dishes like bacon jam cannoli, chicken-fried bacon fries, and fried pork chop sandwiches bring decadent, indulgent eats to new heights.1
Regional Highlights
State Fair food trends are as diverse as the regions they represent. While some classics maintain a dedicated fanbase, such as deep-fried Oreos and giant turkey legs, there’s a growing appetite for local and sustainable ingredients. Regional offerings play a significant role, with each fair showcasing unique flavors and specialties that reflect local culinary traditions and techniques.
State Fair of Texas
Houston’s “Big Tex” annual food contest finalists include Dubai Chocolate Funnel Cake Fries, Bacon Jam Cannoli, Vietnamese Crunch Dog and an impressive variety of dessert-drinks like Pop Rocks Margarita and Coconut slush cocktails.1
Ohio State Fair
At New Food Avenue, the state fair centered on skewered delights, including a s’mores sausage, watermelon on a stick, fried meatballs and mozzarella sticks, frozen cherry cheesecake bars, and fried gator meat.3
Florida State Fair
Down in this panhandle state, a popular showcase was wacky mashups like baked ziti on a stick, Southern‑comfort gravy funnel cakes, street corn–style baked potatoes, pretzel‑rolled corn on the cob, s’mores chocolate bacon, and salted caramel cinnamon buns.4
Indiana State Fair
The Indiana “Taste of the Fair” competition features around 40 new foods, including cinnamon‑sugar cookie‑butter pretzel bites, a key lime pie milkshake, cheesy hot honey chicken fries, Cinnamon Toast Crunch funnel cake, and a deep‑fried pork chop sandwich.5
Esrock’s Fair Food Experiences
This summer, our team embarked on a delicious journey across several state fairs, sampling the latest trends and traditional favorites. Here are their favorite foods.
Minnesota State Fair
Home to our Account Director Emilee Sirek and Account Supervisor Alison Melander, this is the second largest state fair with approximately 2 million visitors annually.6
The Sweet Squeakers from the Blue Barn were a brilliant twist—white cheddar curds fried in funnel cake batter, topped with cinnamon sugar, lemon whipped cream, and berry drizzle. Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar remained a Minnesota state fair institution. With heaping portions meant for sharing (or stashing in a baggie to take home), these cookies are a must-have classic every year.
Additionally, the deep-fried pickles from The Perfect Pickle were a scrumptious group snack and the Cosno Mocktail from Urban Glow was a softer, sweeter alcohol-free offering, topped with a flower for a delicate presentation.
Tennessee State Fair
This fair happens in the culinary playground of our Account Director Tyler Ball.
In the Volunteer state, everyone talked about The Dill Dog—a hot dog stuffed inside a hollowed-out pickle, dipped in corndog batter, then fried on a stick. This year, their new Pickledilla Pork Taco, swapped a traditional shell for melted cheddar and filled it with BBQ pork, pickles, slaw, and cilantro lime sauce for a low-carb option.
As for desserts, the winner of best deep fried fair food was none other than a deep-fried pecan pie. It was a large slice enrobed in dough and deep fried, topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar, and caramel drizzle.
Other standouts included the street corn pizza. A cheese pizza slice topped with some basic street corn mixture—no char, no extra drizzle, no cotija.
Iowa State Fair
Our Creative Director Jeff Schueman sampled a selection of innovative delicacies at this fair.
Here, there were plenty of inventive eats. Three Little Pigs offered a creative trio of ham balls topped with honey mustard, cornbread crumbles, cherry soda, and a vanilla glaze—an unexpectedly tasty mix of flavors. For something on a stick, the lobster corn dog featured a full lobster tail fried with lemon aioli, herbs, and Parmigiano Reggiano. It stole the show as a clear favorite.
Following the Korean corn dog trend, the potato half & half Korean corn dog combined mozzarella and a beef hot dog inside a crispy potato-coated batter, served with four dipping sauces. It was delicious and super filling.
Wisconsin State Fair
Our Project Management Director Kim Ostrowski stopped by the Wisconsin State Fair, where there were plenty of bold flavors and timeless classics.
The Gochujang Smashburger packed sweet heat and some serious bite from the kimchi bacon jam. For dessert, the iconic cream puffs provided the perfect sweet treat. Light choux pastry filled with heaps of fresh whipped cream, it’s simple yet irresistible.
Shout out to the first-place winner of the Sporkies, Wisconsin State Fair’s competition, the ube butter banana French toast lumpia. This dessert featured caramelized bananas, maple syrup, and deep-fried ube.
1 Eater Dallas, Dubai Chocolate Is Already the Big Winner at the State Fair of Texas, July 2025
2 Eater Twin Cities, The 2025 Minnesota State Fair’s Best New Items, July 2025
3 Axios Columbus, What to eat on a stick at the Ohio State Fair, July 2025
4 Axios Tampa Bay, Florida State Fair 2025: Here are the wackiest new items, February 2025
5 Get Indiana, Must-Try 2025 Indiana State Fair Foods: Taste of the Fair & Classics, July 2025
6 Cast & Crew, State Fairs Bounce Back With Strong Attendance Post-Pandemic, December 2024
Courtesy of Esrock Partners, a food marketing agency located near Chicago, Illinois that specializes in the food, beverage, and foodservice industries and their current market trends. For a close-up of our capabilities, see our services.