state fair

For the past week or so the North Carolina State Fair has been in town. The NC State Fair is held every year in October right here in Raleigh, NC at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. If you have ever been then you know about all the outrageous food they have and even if you haven’t been, I’m sure you have at least heard about it. This year the fair runs from October 15th until the 25th, so if you haven’t been yet there is still time. And if you don’t know what the NC State Fair is here’s a quick explanation: animals and agriculture, food, rides, food, games, and more food.

Since the fair is in town, I figured it was only right to blog about my favorite fair foods. So here it goes:

• ribbon fries: My absolute favorite fair food has definitely got to be ribbon fries. I love homemade chips anytime of the year so when the fair comes around the first thing I go for are the ribbon fries.
• lemonade: Okay, technically not food, but who doesn’t love fresh lemonade? The perfect drink to go with any type of fair food has got to be lemonade. You can find lemonade at just about every food vendor at the fair.
• fried macaroni and cheese: If you like macaroni and cheese and fried food I would definitely suggest finding the one of the many vendors that sell fried macaroni and cheese. It’s the perfect combination of mac and cheese and fried-ness.
• fried oreos: If you go to the fair and don’t get some type of fried dessert, you actually didn’t go. My favorite fried dessert would have to be the fried Oreo’s. They are absolutely amazing and I would totally recommend these over and over again. You can also find these at just about every fried food vendor.
• roasted corn: This is also a fair must have. If you’re looking to take a break from all of the crazy fried foods you should turn around and look for the corn. This is also one of those food items that you can find at just about every corner.
• corn dogs: Even though corn dogs aren’t a super popular fair food, they’re still pretty awesome. Most of the time the dog is battered and fried right in front of you so most of the time they are fresh and made to order.
• cotton candy: Can you really leave the fair and not get cotton candy? Every time you turn around there is a vendor selling cotton candy so you won’t have to look far for this delicious fair treat either.

• funnel cake: I don’t normally order funnel cakes at the fair just because they are so messy but they are still a fair favorite. Along with cotton candy and candy apples, funnel cakes are one of the more popular items you can find at the fair.
• turkey legs: This is also something that I wouldn’t normally order, mostly because I’m just not that big on turkey, but I felt that it was necessary to add to the list.
• blooming onion: Even though they can be a little messy and hard to carry around, blooming onions are another good option. If you can find time to sit down and enjoy something to eat I would totally recommend ordering a blooming onion to share among friends.

If you haven’t had the chance to try any of these awesome foods you still until Sunday to head over to the fairgrounds. The fair opens at 8 am and will be open until midnight on Friday and Saturday and 11 pm on Sunday night. You don’t want to miss out on all the excitement!

For more info about vendors, ticket sales, admission and other information about the North Carolina State Fair be sure to visit their website at ncstatefair.org. (Hint: If you buy your tickets online you can not only save time in lines, but save $1 on admission price!)