New food items debut at the Indiana State Fair
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Several new food items were added to the menu at the Indiana State Fair this year, most of which are made of combinations only seen in a fair setting.
Some of the key new options include a cotton candy margarita, peanut butter and jelly chicken wings, and a blueberry cheesecake stuffed elephant ear. News 8 caught up with a few of the creators and vendors offering each of the products.
At Margaritas on Main, not too far from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum, fairgoers can enjoy several different drink options.
The cotton candy margarita is especially notable, though.
“The cotton candy margarita is an Indiana original,” Steve Hadt, of Margaritas on Main, said. “It is cotton candy. I take a piece of cotton candy, I pour some tequila over it. I pour some Triple Sec, some margarita mix. Then, I shake it up. I do it all. Then I put it on a cup with sugar rim and a big ole’ blob of cotton candy.”
Another option, one with more sustenance, is at one of the Urick food stands inside the midway.
The addition is a favorite for some, but for others, it’s been slightly controversial.
“It’s too much peanut butter,” fairgoer Vincent Chapman said. “The jelly is good because it gives it like a sweet kind of flavor … but the texture with the peanut butter, it just isn’t it.”
There’s also ample dessert opportunities, including one made by state fair classic The Baker Man.
Trent Wilkes, owner of the iconic storefront, developed a blueberry cheesecake stuffed elephant ear.
“We take an elephant ear, roll it out like normal, just roll the dough out like you would an elephant ear,” Wilkes said. “But before we throw it in the fryer, we lay a blueberry pie filling and a cream cheese cheesecake filling. Fold it over and dry it, so it’s basically like a dessert calzone.
Some may not be too interested in unique flavor profiles. The fair still offers several options for them.
King’s Funnel Cake and Corndog Stand has the essentials.
“They are always hot. They are always fresh … and they are covered in sugar. They are excellent,” Lexi Chaffin, the stand operator, said.
Each of the food options will be available until the state fair concludes Aug. 18.