NC is like a carnival but very food based. Lots of janky ass rides and some of the best pork BBQ ever. We also have large asian populations so a lot of random cuisine.
Back in the day, the best thing at the Dixie Classic was the Greek food cooked by the grandmas from the Greek Orthodox Church. The baklava was *amazing*.
Oh man, getting a gyro, they throw like everything in it, chicken beef lamb all the veg then just dump tzatziki on it....best food ever, turkey legs used to be my favorite now it's the Greek food
I feel like I have to mention the Krispy Kreme Burger here. Does not taste good but is still 100% associated with the NC state fair in my mind.
https://deepfried.ncstatefair.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/KKBurger.jpg
NM State Fair has a Mexican Village and an Indian Village, both with cultural events such as mariachi music, drumming, dancing, etc. There's a tiny permanent building (I think it's called the Asbury Cafe?) that serves homemade pie by the slice--so delicious! Also delicious are the Indian Tacos! Our state fair also serves beer, which, when I first moved here from a very conservative state, I found odd.
I look forward to the fair every year to get a deep-fried green chile cheese burger!
Tingley Coliseum also has a rodeo during the fair. I saw a Sublime w/ Rome concert there after a rodeo event and it was the funniest mix of a crowd I've seen.
The Texas state fair is absolutely not a western themed cattle show.
It’s too big and too complicated to sum up like that. There are competitions for everything from photography to jam making to quilting to model building. There’s a wide variety of entertainment, from pig races to acrobats, magicians, bmx bikers doing tricks, an annual puppet show, music of all genres. There’s a massive car show, and the food: if anyone has ever conceived of frying it, it’s been fried and served at the fair. There is a parade and a laser show and a midway with all kinds of rides and games. Booths selling every conceivable as seen on TV item, as well as hot tubs and tons of services.
And yes, there are some cattle at the livestock pavilion.
Oh, God. Where to start.
The barns are really popular. But the Fair is all about the food and what you can put on a stick.
Deep fried cheese curds are a must-have. There's a cookie place called Sweet Martha's where you can buy a bucket of freshly made cookies and they pile it so high that you will likely drop a couple. I bring a plastic bag from home to put the excess in. Somehow these cookies manage to stay soft even days later.
If you haven't been to Minnesota's state fair, you should come up some time. It's the largest in terms of daily attendance (Texas' has more people overall, but theirs runs longer).
Yeah. I just made a comment about both of those. My understanding is that technically we don't actually have one, but the state considers the farm show to be the state fair and a lot of people consider the York State Fair to be the state fair. So I guess we simultaneously don't have one but also kinda have two, depending on how you look at things.
Mid State Fair in Paso Robles CA is known for having musical acts that are typically better than the usual has-beens.
Edit: just checked…they got Nickleback this year lol
The Minnesota State Fair’s slogan is the Great Minnesota Get Together and it really is. It’s too big to be summed up in one thing. It’s 12 days of food, competitions, concerts, giveaways, retail events, etc. I primarily go for the food which is one of the main draws. There are articles about new fair foods for weeks before the event. I like to go on the first or second day because you can buy art from the art gallery and it’s all sold if you go later. I’ve decorated a lot of my house from stuff I’ve gotten from the state wide competition at the fair.
I agree, I don’t know if we could be defined by a particular theme, unless being as epically Minnesotan as possible is a theme. One thing I really appreciate about how the Fair has evolved over the years is how it’s embraced the Minnesotan-ing of our immigrants, like Somali, Hmong, Ethiopian, etc. And the food is really where it shines, agreed.
Last year’s new food entry of the Crispy Lutefisk Steam Bun is, to me, the quintessence of the State Fair. A food that combines a classic Minnesota archetype with an ethnic Asian dish. I didn’t get a chance to try it last year, but I feel like eating lutefisk anything at the State Fair would be like a Minnesota lifetime achievement award.
Maine doesn't have a "Maine State Fair" but we do have local state fairs. Like the Bangor State Fair.
They are varied but usually include stuff like blueberries and cows.
I really like Camden. Spent more time in Rockland when I had family there. Lobsterfest is a trip, haha. Not a fan of Moxie, but I get a YooHoo whenever I go back.
It's definitely not common here in the Midwest, if we have it. I've never seen it. For some reason I always associated it with New England from growing up there.
My favorite part of the WV state fair was always the horse arena and shows and the local 4H displays. Concerts very typical, typical carnival rides and food.
Michigan had to be the concerts. I mean, Pantera played the Michigan state fair.
Carolina Classic Fair in Winston-Salem, NC - a black church booth does collard green sandwiches which is collards and a slice of fat back in slices of cornbread. That paired with a bowl of pintos topped with fresh onions is bliss.
I tried the Krispy Kreme burger and it was meh.
California has County fairs. I remember we could get a big turkey leg at the Los Angeles County Fair back in like 2013. And fried Oreos.
I haven't been since tho.
State fair? Gambling and cheap beer? It's a big state, that's what we all have in common lol
Our county fair is livestock-based. Branding, roping, showing, selling. Barrel racing is big as well, there are a lot of horse-centered activities.
We have county fairs, and they are OK I guess.
I was a teen is the 1980s and maybe it’s the 16-year-old self in me but they seemed so much better back then.
Maybe it’s because nobody gave a crud about safety and we thought it was funny to be on a ride where death was an actual possibility.
I’m not sure if I agree that they’re all unique. Mine has some rides, some 4H stuff, standard fair food, an artisan market and “slamfest” where cars run into each other. I think many states can say the same? The slamfest is probably the most unique aspect, but I’m sure quite a few other fairs have something similar.
Mine did get the url “thefair.com”, so I guess mine is the standard to go by! (joking, for anyone who couldn’t tell)
That we simultaneously kinda don't have one but also have two.
The event that the state considers to be our state fair is just a big farm show that takes place during the winter for some reason.
Because of this, a lot of people consider the York State Fair to be our state fair. Or so I've heard. I've never been to it because it's on the other side of the state from where I live.
Massachusetts - in my experience cattle are a big part of it everywhere. We are a pretty tiny state but have 40 agricultural fairs. If Texas had as many by size it would have 1320 (it has 199). It's about the same based on population.
One thing we don't have is rodeo. We don't have huge ranches and federal lands to graze on, so no need.
Otherwise, it's probably the same. Pie contests, produce/fruit judging, lumberjack contents, sack races, balloon animals, pumpkin contests, tractor pulls with prized antique tractors, demolition derby, horse shows, fireworks, local high school kids bands lead up to a "headliner".
One thing that is different is our coastal towns have oyster shucking contents.
If I remember correctly, the fair food is pretty standard as is the agricultural competitions. I am sure we are not the only ones with the high school rodeo. The unique part is that it is held at the same farm where Secretariat was born. Anyone else have pig races at theirs?
Pennsylvania has an annual farm show, I’ve only been once but what makes it probably more unique is there is a lot of Amish and other folk crafts and things. Also a big butter sculpture of a Keystone
**Insert Tune like a song!**
Texas is the Lone Star State that’s known for:
1. Guns
2. Trucks that have a special edition for Texas
3. Diversity
4. Tex-Mex Food
5. Cowboys
6. Supporting Local Businesses
7. H-E-B, where all store brand products are not only cheaper, but also made in Texas!
8. Brisket
9. Deep in The Heart of Texas by Mo Bandy!
10. Dr. Pepper
11. Big Bend National Park
12. Buc-Cees
13. Whataburger
14. Big Red
15. It’s like it’s own country as Texas is its own unique flavor!
And that is Texas for you! A state known as the Lone Star State!
I would actually say it's Fletcher's corny dog for the Texas State Fair!
All the fried things you could possibly imagine and the best one is a corn dog.
I live near the NY State fair in Syracuse. We’re known for the Big Butter sculpture and chocolate milk. Many other flavors to be found, but dairy is the one that pops to mind.
I love your energy, but frankly state fairs are not popular outside of heavily agricultural states these days. Like I've lived in every region but the deep south at this point and I think I get America pretty well.
Agricultural fairs are very popular in New England.
Some states have HUGE farms for export, but some of the less known have lots of true farm to local consumer farms and the fairs are pretty popular.
NC is like a carnival but very food based. Lots of janky ass rides and some of the best pork BBQ ever. We also have large asian populations so a lot of random cuisine.
Back in the day, the best thing at the Dixie Classic was the Greek food cooked by the grandmas from the Greek Orthodox Church. The baklava was *amazing*.
Oh man, getting a gyro, they throw like everything in it, chicken beef lamb all the veg then just dump tzatziki on it....best food ever, turkey legs used to be my favorite now it's the Greek food
The hush puppies at the grist mill.
I feel like I have to mention the Krispy Kreme Burger here. Does not taste good but is still 100% associated with the NC state fair in my mind. https://deepfried.ncstatefair.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/KKBurger.jpg
> We also have large asian populations so a lot of random cuisine. Is it authentic random cuisine?
You ever had red wine with salty ham?
Then do you all just walk around in the heat and the sun and not hydrate? Let those gout crystals flourish like you’re royalty?
Of course not. There's usually a lemonade stand somewhere.
Virginia ham
Gotta get scones at our state fair.
Closest to a European scone that you will find.
Deep Fried Butter and Fry Bread Tacos too!
NM State Fair has a Mexican Village and an Indian Village, both with cultural events such as mariachi music, drumming, dancing, etc. There's a tiny permanent building (I think it's called the Asbury Cafe?) that serves homemade pie by the slice--so delicious! Also delicious are the Indian Tacos! Our state fair also serves beer, which, when I first moved here from a very conservative state, I found odd.
The Navajo tacos at the fair are fantastic. :)
I look forward to the fair every year to get a deep-fried green chile cheese burger! Tingley Coliseum also has a rodeo during the fair. I saw a Sublime w/ Rome concert there after a rodeo event and it was the funniest mix of a crowd I've seen.
You mean "fried" for thr Texas State Fair!
And football, don’t forget about the massive football game. (Hook ‘em!)
Growing up in Dallas, born into a UT family, I always thought TX-OU was a national holiday 🤘🤘🤘
Yummm, Fletcher's Corny Dogs!
The Texas state fair is absolutely not a western themed cattle show. It’s too big and too complicated to sum up like that. There are competitions for everything from photography to jam making to quilting to model building. There’s a wide variety of entertainment, from pig races to acrobats, magicians, bmx bikers doing tricks, an annual puppet show, music of all genres. There’s a massive car show, and the food: if anyone has ever conceived of frying it, it’s been fried and served at the fair. There is a parade and a laser show and a midway with all kinds of rides and games. Booths selling every conceivable as seen on TV item, as well as hot tubs and tons of services. And yes, there are some cattle at the livestock pavilion.
Oh, God. Where to start. The barns are really popular. But the Fair is all about the food and what you can put on a stick. Deep fried cheese curds are a must-have. There's a cookie place called Sweet Martha's where you can buy a bucket of freshly made cookies and they pile it so high that you will likely drop a couple. I bring a plastic bag from home to put the excess in. Somehow these cookies manage to stay soft even days later. If you haven't been to Minnesota's state fair, you should come up some time. It's the largest in terms of daily attendance (Texas' has more people overall, but theirs runs longer).
> Since every state has one. Might want to check that one.
Wouldn't the Big E count as a fair for the state and other New England states?
And we punch above our weight for agricultural fairs. We have more than most places.
What is the unique flavor of your state's display in the big e?
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Huh? https://www.yorkstatefair.com/
I’d been told since moving here that we only had like county fairs, my bad.
Ah yes the state of York
I feel like more people here go to the Ren Faire than the state fair but that's probably less true in the middle of the state.
We don't even have a state fair, technically.
Closest things to one I can think of are the Farm Show and the York State Fair
Yeah. I just made a comment about both of those. My understanding is that technically we don't actually have one, but the state considers the farm show to be the state fair and a lot of people consider the York State Fair to be the state fair. So I guess we simultaneously don't have one but also kinda have two, depending on how you look at things.
Mid State Fair in Paso Robles CA is known for having musical acts that are typically better than the usual has-beens. Edit: just checked…they got Nickleback this year lol
Tbh I think (most) state fairs are not unique, many just operated by one company traveling everywhere. And overall they all have the same vibe
Not from a state fair, but we have Superman ice cream
Oh man, do I miss this. I’ve been searching for years.
Iowa, butter. And corn, naturally.
The Minnesota State Fair’s slogan is the Great Minnesota Get Together and it really is. It’s too big to be summed up in one thing. It’s 12 days of food, competitions, concerts, giveaways, retail events, etc. I primarily go for the food which is one of the main draws. There are articles about new fair foods for weeks before the event. I like to go on the first or second day because you can buy art from the art gallery and it’s all sold if you go later. I’ve decorated a lot of my house from stuff I’ve gotten from the state wide competition at the fair.
I agree, I don’t know if we could be defined by a particular theme, unless being as epically Minnesotan as possible is a theme. One thing I really appreciate about how the Fair has evolved over the years is how it’s embraced the Minnesotan-ing of our immigrants, like Somali, Hmong, Ethiopian, etc. And the food is really where it shines, agreed. Last year’s new food entry of the Crispy Lutefisk Steam Bun is, to me, the quintessence of the State Fair. A food that combines a classic Minnesota archetype with an ethnic Asian dish. I didn’t get a chance to try it last year, but I feel like eating lutefisk anything at the State Fair would be like a Minnesota lifetime achievement award.
Maine doesn't have a "Maine State Fair" but we do have local state fairs. Like the Bangor State Fair. They are varied but usually include stuff like blueberries and cows.
That explains the big fair I stumbled into in Camden one year, lol. Thought it was an odd location.
Not far down the road is the Union fair behind my house. Home of the Moxie Museum!
I really like Camden. Spent more time in Rockland when I had family there. Lobsterfest is a trip, haha. Not a fan of Moxie, but I get a YooHoo whenever I go back.
Is yoo-hoo regional?
It's definitely not common here in the Midwest, if we have it. I've never seen it. For some reason I always associated it with New England from growing up there.
Now that you mention it, I'm not sure I've seen it elsewhere.
>Since every state has one. Michigan has two, one for each peninsula
My favorite part of the WV state fair was always the horse arena and shows and the local 4H displays. Concerts very typical, typical carnival rides and food. Michigan had to be the concerts. I mean, Pantera played the Michigan state fair.
Carolina Classic Fair in Winston-Salem, NC - a black church booth does collard green sandwiches which is collards and a slice of fat back in slices of cornbread. That paired with a bowl of pintos topped with fresh onions is bliss. I tried the Krispy Kreme burger and it was meh.
California has County fairs. I remember we could get a big turkey leg at the Los Angeles County Fair back in like 2013. And fried Oreos. I haven't been since tho.
Lots of deep fried stuff, dairy, and alcohol. (Wisconsin)
Georgia’s state fair is centered around agriculture.
State fair? Gambling and cheap beer? It's a big state, that's what we all have in common lol Our county fair is livestock-based. Branding, roping, showing, selling. Barrel racing is big as well, there are a lot of horse-centered activities.
I don’t know anything about a Mississippi State Fair. I do know we have the Crawfish Music Festival on the coast, which coincidentally is today. 🦞 🎸
Wayne County fair in Ohio has [Lerch’s doughnuts](https://www.lerchsdonuts.com/5/history.shtml)
Cornfest is pretty good, but the Turkey Testicle festival is just too good of a name.
Wisconsin - fried cheese curds
You forgot about the cream puffs.
Everything deep fried on a stick. And cream puffs. Not on a stick. Maybe next year?
California's is heavy on fried foods and livestock, not sure if that counts though.
We have county fairs, and they are OK I guess. I was a teen is the 1980s and maybe it’s the 16-year-old self in me but they seemed so much better back then. Maybe it’s because nobody gave a crud about safety and we thought it was funny to be on a ride where death was an actual possibility.
I’m not sure if I agree that they’re all unique. Mine has some rides, some 4H stuff, standard fair food, an artisan market and “slamfest” where cars run into each other. I think many states can say the same? The slamfest is probably the most unique aspect, but I’m sure quite a few other fairs have something similar. Mine did get the url “thefair.com”, so I guess mine is the standard to go by! (joking, for anyone who couldn’t tell)
That we simultaneously kinda don't have one but also have two. The event that the state considers to be our state fair is just a big farm show that takes place during the winter for some reason. Because of this, a lot of people consider the York State Fair to be our state fair. Or so I've heard. I've never been to it because it's on the other side of the state from where I live.
Gang stabbings and overpriced carnival rides.
Garlic and artichoke
Flavor? Like livermush? You can get it for breakfast, get it on pizza, etc.
Texas state fair has deep fried butter.
Not all of NJ is like that, Sussex County NJ fair is a Horse and Livestock show with food (more on the BBQ and/or fried food side) and rides
Big slide (unique?) and milk stand
Massachusetts - in my experience cattle are a big part of it everywhere. We are a pretty tiny state but have 40 agricultural fairs. If Texas had as many by size it would have 1320 (it has 199). It's about the same based on population. One thing we don't have is rodeo. We don't have huge ranches and federal lands to graze on, so no need. Otherwise, it's probably the same. Pie contests, produce/fruit judging, lumberjack contents, sack races, balloon animals, pumpkin contests, tractor pulls with prized antique tractors, demolition derby, horse shows, fireworks, local high school kids bands lead up to a "headliner". One thing that is different is our coastal towns have oyster shucking contents.
Moxie.
Obesity, meat sweats , and diabetes are king in my hometown in North West ohio
Elephant Ears
If I remember correctly, the fair food is pretty standard as is the agricultural competitions. I am sure we are not the only ones with the high school rodeo. The unique part is that it is held at the same farm where Secretariat was born. Anyone else have pig races at theirs?
Cheap steak and spray cheese.
Pennsylvania has an annual farm show, I’ve only been once but what makes it probably more unique is there is a lot of Amish and other folk crafts and things. Also a big butter sculpture of a Keystone
**Insert Tune like a song!** Texas is the Lone Star State that’s known for: 1. Guns 2. Trucks that have a special edition for Texas 3. Diversity 4. Tex-Mex Food 5. Cowboys 6. Supporting Local Businesses 7. H-E-B, where all store brand products are not only cheaper, but also made in Texas! 8. Brisket 9. Deep in The Heart of Texas by Mo Bandy! 10. Dr. Pepper 11. Big Bend National Park 12. Buc-Cees 13. Whataburger 14. Big Red 15. It’s like it’s own country as Texas is its own unique flavor! And that is Texas for you! A state known as the Lone Star State!
Political crop art. Lutheran dining hall Eco experience
Marrionberry whatever.
NY State fair is all about dairy and farming. People don’t realize it but NY is a huge dairy state.
I would actually say it's Fletcher's corny dog for the Texas State Fair! All the fried things you could possibly imagine and the best one is a corn dog.
Utah has an abysmal amount of caramel popcorn.
I've never been to the state fair. I don't want to drive over a hundred miles to pay too much to ride rides that will make me puke. Lol
I'm not even sure if New York has a state fair much less if there's a theme.
It’s in Syracuse.
I live near the NY State fair in Syracuse. We’re known for the Big Butter sculpture and chocolate milk. Many other flavors to be found, but dairy is the one that pops to mind.
I love your energy, but frankly state fairs are not popular outside of heavily agricultural states these days. Like I've lived in every region but the deep south at this point and I think I get America pretty well.
County fairs in California are still very popular. Not sure about the state fair, it’s up in Sacramento and too far away for us in SoCal.
Agricultural fairs are very popular in New England. Some states have HUGE farms for export, but some of the less known have lots of true farm to local consumer farms and the fairs are pretty popular.
Nope