We are huge fair-goers. It’s an event, we look forward to year after year. It was a tough pill to swallow when the Kansas State Fair had to cancel in 2020. But fortunately this year, the event returned. I was told by some vendors that vendor turnout was down this year and supply issues made it tough for them, but they have tried their best to make the most of it.
While there weren’t many new food items available this year, we wanted to make it out regardless and try what new items there were along with some newer additions over the years.
If you’re new to town, the Kansas State Fair takes place in Hutchinson, KS. It’s about an hour drive from Wichita. Admission to the fair is $10 for adults, $6 for seniors and kids 6-12. Kids 5 and under are free.
Obviously, one of the biggest attractions is the food. There were a few new additions we saw for 2021. I didn’t put much focus on the big staples like Pronto Pups, corn, etc. Let’s get on with the coverage:
Bacon Wrapped Fried Oreos with Salted Caramel Moonshine Sauce
Available at one of the vendors that has big signs offering fried everything near the lake end of the fair is where you’ll find these bacon wrapped fried Oreos. Three of them run $8. What you get are Oreos that were wrapped in bacon, lightly battered and fried. Once complete, they were drizzled with salted caramel moonshine sauce. As far as fried fair foods go, this was about as heavenly as you could get. The idea of bacon and Oreos was a little strange to some, but after the first bite it all meshed well together. It was a very rich dessert and possibly the favorite part was the salted caramel moonshine sauce.
Pickle Lemonade
Immediately next door to the bacon wrapped Oreos is where the pickle lemonade can be had. A 20 oz. lemonade ran $6. This is a must for any pickle lover. The fresh hand-squeezed lemonade had a small blast of pickle flavor in each drink. There was the classic tart lemonade taste with a touch of pickle. A few pickles were even tossed inside the drink for a quick treat once you were finished.
Lemonade Shakeups
Next to Chan’s Chicken was a stand called Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Shakeups. You could get big cups of lemonade that came with the classic lemonade flavor or shake it up with different flavors like blueberry. The cost of each cup was $6.
Krispy Kreme Hot Dog
A recent addition in 2019 at the Carousel Cafe was the Krispy Kreme burger. There was also a Krispy Kreme hot dog which we hadn’t tried before. $10.50 netted you a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut that was stuffed with a hot dog and jelly and coated with powdered sugar. This had gluttony written all over it. Many people looked at me when I was holding it with these awkward stares, but some intrigue. I’ll admit, the intrigue got the best of me and I had to order it. It was much better than I thought it’d be. The jelly was the overpowering taste that stuck out the most. You could barely taste the hot dog, it felt like it was there for texture and filling. Most of what I could detect was the jelly followed by the doughnut flavor.
Deep Fried Pickles and Pickled NachosĀ
I heard the best place for fried pickles was a small red vendor called Deep Fried Pickles. There you could find hand cut pickles that were lightly battered. Many places offer the frozen type, so if you’re looking for handmade fried pickles, this is your best bet. $6 gets you the pickles.
If you want to up the game, you can order pickled nachos, which are essentially nachos but with fried pickles replacing the chips. Then it’s covered with cheese, cream and hot Cheetos.
All in all, it was a fantastic, filling, delicious first visit on day one of the Kansas State Fair.
For more information on the fair, head to the Kansas State Fair website.
Have an event you would like for us to come cover? Email us with the details of the event. We are always open to suggestions on fun things to do in Wichita!
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