Even though I’ve moved to Chicago and attended multiple fests, I still haven’t found any fests that compare to the deep-fried deliciousness of the Indiana State Fair! I stuck with old favorites for the most part (see my Indiana State Fair 2018 post for last year’s picks), with a couple of new items thrown in.
The Food
Elephant Ear
One of my favorite fair food! A while back, someone gave me a tip to get caramel syrup on any elephant ear, and now I won’t have it any other way!
Sati-Babi
Another item I absolutely HAVE to get at the fair! I tried purchasing the Sati-Babi sauce and marinating/grilling my own pork last year, and it tasted nothing like it tastes at the fair, so I guess I’m stuck waiting all year for these tasty grilled pork skewers. The Sati-Babi booth also has delicious looking eggrolls I’ve been meaning to try but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Next year maybe!
Poutine
This was something I’d never seen at the fair before and decided to try it to replace my usual ribbon fries. It was pretty good, though I’ve had better.
Angry Pretzel Poppers
These jalapeno pretzel poppers were delicious, though I was so full by the time I tried them, I wasn’t able to finish the entire serving of three. I got the recommended Mad Ranch sauce, which was ok, but the normal cheese sauce would have been better.
Wine Slushie
This year, the wine and beer tent gave out wristbands that allow you to roam around the fair with your drink, instead of being contained to the tent area. Such a great improvement! And the wine slushie was incredible.
Mini Funnel Cake & Orange Shakeup
I’ve complained for years about the ridiculous size of funnel cake prohibiting me from getting one if no one wants to share, and finally, there was a vendor that did something about it – mini funnel cakes! At $5, they weren’t the best value, but getting a smaller size that I know won’t go to waste was worth it.
Only plain mini funnel cakes were offered this year. Maybe next year, some of the specialty funnel cakes will be offered as well!
Hashbrown Grilled Cheese
Last year’s fair food highlight was the Inside Out Grilled Cheese Sandwich from the Dairy Barn, and I was expecting great things again this year but was unfortunately very disappointed with the hashbrown grilled cheese this year. It was literally two fast-food hashbrown patties with cheese stuffed in the middle. Please, State Fair, bring back the Inside Out Grilled Cheese next year!
The Entertainment
The Circus
With limited time this year, I didn’t get to check out a lot of the games or rides, but was able to enjoy the Big Top Circus again, which is always a treat! The performance was an hour and food & drinks are allowed inside – taking in a couple of snacks to enjoy during the performance was a fantastic way to enjoy the show.
I was excited to see some different acts this year, though overall I enjoyed the combination of last year’s circus performances better! I’ll definitely continue to attend the circus in future years since they do change the performances every time.
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What was your favorite part of this year’s Indiana State Fair?
