Walk the Arizona State Fairgrounds and you’re sure to be greeted with the sweet and savory aromas of everything from smoky BBQ to kettle corn. Of course, the fair has staples: turkey legs, funnel cakes and corndogs. But what keeps fair food interesting is the break from tradition into the eccentric and unpredictable.
Take, for example, this year’s offering of the hot Cheetos and cheese chicken on a stick from Biggy’s, which is a plump fried chicken breast covered in nacho cheese with a fiery hot Cheeto crumble and served with a pickle on top. Or Chub’s pickled tamale bites: balls of tamale masa stuffed with pickles and cheese with nacho cheese on the side for dipping. Not to be outdone for inventiveness, there’s Big Dogs 2’s Tosti-nachos, presented in a Tostitos bag, where you’ll discover crispy chips smothered in nacho cheese with a kick of jalapeño.
If you want to indulge your sweet tooth, the fair has plenty of which to boast. Try the fruit roll-up frozen grapes on a stick from RCS Food Stand, which are frozen grapes rolled in zest Tajin, drizzled with Chamoy, and wrapped in a fruit roll-up for an explosion of sweetness. Or Swirl Ice Cream Cone’s Double Trouble, a dynamic dessert duo, consisting of two ice cream cones double-dipped in chocolate and caramel, then crowned with caramel kettle corn.
The fair is more than its zany culinary creations though. Rich in history, this year marks 140 years since its inception in 1884. Since Arizona gained statehood in 1912, the fair is older than the state itself. Once called the Territorial Fair, it offered horse and auto races and promotional opportunities for local businesses, grocery stores and farms, says Marc-Pierre Marlais, the State Fair Museum Curator. But the 1950’s saw the fair morph into a more recognizable version of what we know today, adding carnival rides, concerts, game booths and its famous fried foods.
Contributing to the robust fair history is Navajo Taco Stand, the longest-established food vendor. With a 60-year run and five generations of family members involved, they serve fried bread golden in color, light and airy, but filling. Many more family-operated booths span two to four generations at the fair, including Dottie Maile’s Indian Frybread, Serena Curry’s Teepee Village, Nathan Marcus of West Coast Weenies and others.
For Ahwatukee resident and Arizona native Jen Yee, the fair’s Assistant Executive Director, the fair is a special tradition to her since childhood. “When my family goes, we split up to find our favorite foods. Then we come together to share our offerings with each other because food is love. And it has to be fried; the more fried the better.”
The 2024 Arizona State Fair runs Sept. 20 through Oct. 27, Thursday-Sunday, 12-9 p.m.
Whether you try a classic craving or crazy concoction, don’t forget the lemonade, which Brianda Martinez, the fair’s Marketing Director, promises is truly freshly squeezed.
140 years of fun, food and community
The Arizona State Fair is celebrating a major milestone. Here are some fascinating facts to excite you about this year's event.
+ The first fairground site was near the Salt River. Due to flooding around 1891, however, the fair took a 15-year-long hiatus until 1905 when Phoenix’s mayor and owner of the Grand Hotel Adams, John C. Adams, purchased the land called the “Six Point” intersection, where the fair is still held today.
+ Some of the brick buildings, such as the Women’s Building, and the grandstand, were erected in 1905, thanks to the vision of Adams and other local businessmen.
+ In 1909, the first mention of fireworks is found in archives. At the time, exotic animals such as ostriches were also big attractions.
+ During the fair’s early years, fruit vendors sold locally grown fruit and vegetables, allowing passersby to sample their offerings.
+ In 1934, archives show a Mary Becker won the food contests in three categories: plate chocolate fudge, apricot jam and raspberry jam.
+ Throughout the years, the fairgrounds have been used for emergency purposes, including a temporary military camp for the 81st Infantry Wildcat Division during World War II, and again in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina when refugees took shelter in the Coliseum.
+ For 24 years, the Coliseum housed the Phoenix Suns basketball team, dubbed “The Madhouse on McDowell” by sports broadcaster Al McCoy.
+ The 2006 Arizona State Fair introduced some of the zaniest food offerings, such as the Deep-Fried Coca-Cola and “Cucumber on Lumber” (a cucumber on a stick served with lemon juice and chili powder).
+ There’s plenty of entertainment included with admission: the grandstand events, like the rodeo and monster trucks, tribute bands from Billy Joel to Metallica, the petting zoo, magicians, singers, acrobats, Native American dancing and community acts.
The fair is more than its zany culinary creations though. Rich in history, this year marks 140 years since its inception in 1884.