20 New Foods to Try at the 2015 Arizona State Fair

We've got three words for you, Phoenix: Beer. Battered. Bacon. That's right. It's that time of year again. On Friday, October 16 the Arizona State Fair will open its gates for an 18-day run that's sure to be full of rides, games, concerts, and awesome fair food. Of course, you'll...

By Lauren Saria

October 14, 2015

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We've got three words for you, Phoenix: Beer. Battered. Bacon.

That's right. It's that time of year. On Friday, October 16, the Arizona State Fair will open its gates for an 18-day run that's sure to be full of rides, games, concerts, and awesome fair food.

Of course, you'll be able to find all the usual favorites at the 2015 Arizona State Fair — we're talking about giant turkey legs, deep-fried candy bars, corn dogs, cotton candy, caramel apples, frybread, and funnel cake. But there also is plenty of new food appearing at the fair this year. From doughnuts to deep-fried nachos, you're going to want to plan ahead (read: wear your fat pants) when you hit the midway this year.

Here's the rundown on 20 new foods to look for at the 2015 Arizona State Fair:

Deep-fried peanut butter and jelly cheesecake on a stick with bubble gum frosting: A crispy cheesecake treat topped with light blue frosting and red, white and blue gumballs (Sweet Cheeks)
Deep-fried wood-fired pastrami pizza (Cardinali’s Pizza)
Award-winning spaghetti ice cream (Cardinali’s Pizza)
World’s Hottest Ice Cream (Cardinali’s Pizza)
World’s Most Sour Ice Cream (Cardinali’s Pizza)
Specialty poutine: French, Mexican, Greek, shepherd’s pie (Fhat Dawgs and La Poutinerie)
Specialty Dawgs: Japanese dog, Mexican dog, Chicago dog (Fhat Dawgs)
Brownie caramel funnel cake: Tastes like a sweet crunchy brownie with caramel on top (J & L Concessions)
Raspberry frybread topped with powdered sugar (J & L Concessions)
Chocolate-covered chicharrónes (Bacon A-Fair)
Beer-battered bacon (Bacon A-Fair)
Bacon-wrapped pork belly: Premium pork belly rubbed with sage and rosemary and wrapped with two feet of thick-cut honey-smoked bacon on a stick. (Biggys 1 & 2)
Frosted Flake fried chicken (Get Pickled O Petes)
The Koolicle: Kool-Aid-infused pickle (Get Pickled O Petes)
Deep-fried nachos: Nacho cheese inside of hot orbs of crispy nacho goodness; Can be topped with guacamole, sour cream, jalapeños, and cheese. (Tater Twister)
The Tajin Candy Apple (Sweeties and Sweet Dreams)
Deep-fried Nutella (Fried A-Fair & Fried A Fair 2)
Affogato ice cream sundae: Sundae with a double shot of fresh brewed espresso in a test tube placed upside down into the ice-cream (Fried A Fair 2)
Fireball doughnut: Giant raised doughnut topped with a warm caramel glaze infused with Cinnamon Fireball Whisky, banana slices, and whipped cream (Brander Enterprises)
Coconut Samoa Doughnut: Giant raised donut topped with a warm toasted coconut caramel glaze with chocolate drizzle (Brander Enterprises)

And because no one wants to wander around hangrily looking for Frosted Flake fried chicken, we've also got a downloadable map that will help you easily find your way to the state fair food stalls:

PDF — Fair Food Finder

The Arizona State Fair opens this Friday, October 16 and closes on Sunday, November 8. During its run, the fair is open Wednesday through Sunday. On weekdays, gates open at noon and gates open at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ticket prices range from $3 to $6 for general admission and can be purchased online. For more information check the Arizona State Fair website.

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