Laura Kattilakoski
Staff Writer

Year after year, thousands of Texans squeeze in through the gates of the Texas State Fair in Dallas to experience a variety of fried foods, thrilling rides and state livestock.
The first sign Fair Park is nearby is the prominent Ferris wheel, which can be seen from miles away. Crowds line the streets, trying to make their way to the ticket booths. Immediately upon stepping inside the gates, you are hit by the smell of dozens of foods cooking in hot, greasy oil. Rides whirl on all sides. Children drag oversize stuffed animals from the carnival games they won.
This is a typical day at the Texas State Fair. The annual fair, which ran Sept. 24 – Oct. 1, provides endless amusement for Texans.
Despite all of the other attractions at the fair, one young and old alike look forward to is the variety of unhealthy, soaked-in-grease food.
“My favorite food that I tried [at the fair] was probably the fried cheesecake,” sophomore Meredith Groom said. “It was just original and amazingly delicious.”
There was also a great demand for the traditional favorites, such as the renowned corny dogs. Eating a corny dog is a staple of the state fair experience. For others, tasting never-before-heard-of treats keep them coming back for more.
“[The funnel cake] was sweet. I’ve never tried it before,” sophomore Fatima Khan said. “And a lot of my friends we’re trying it.”
Every year, a noted part of the fair is the fried food competition to see whose food tastes the best. This year the Big Tex Choice contest was as prestigious as ever. Dozens of chefs spent months working on their innovative new fried foods to compete in the contest. The winner of the “Best Tasting Fried Food” was Texas fried Frito pie, with fried beer as a close runner up. The eight nominees for the Big Tex Choice Awards consisted of fried chocolate, deep fried frozen margarita, Texas fried caviar, fried lemonade, deep fried S’mores Pop Tarts and Fernie’s fried club salad, plus the two winners.
Fried beer, created by Mark Zable, took the prize for “Most Creative”. The beer is enclosed in a small pocket of pretzel dough. When the squares are bitten into, the beer bursts out, and can be used as a dip. Fairgoers must be at least 21 years old in order to taste this snack.
The overall winner for “Best Tasting Fried Food” was the Texas fried Frito pie created by Nick Bert. It was among the longest lines at the fair. Everyone wanted to try the chopped up Frito pie enclosed in a fried corn chip. The mash up of chili, cheddar cheese and corn chips combined to make one of the most sought after foods at the fair. Apparently it was delicious- and the judges seemed to agree.
Many chefs have already begun working on their innovations for next year’s fair.