Anyone who thinks of state fairs as some charming relic of a bygone era of American history probably hasn’t been to a state fair in quite some time, if ever. The state fairgrounds, one quickly learns upon entering through the gates, are a bustling epicenter of innovation, whether it takes the form of record-breaking agricultural feats, blue ribbon creations, or butter sculpture ingenuity. And of course, each year sees an all-new menu full of foods humankind has never thought to deep-fry before.

　　The Iowa State Fair, one of the largest in the country, has been held nearly every year since 1854, and it’s been located on the same Des Moines fairgrounds since 1886. Not only are there roughly 200 food stands to choose from, but the New York Times wrote a breathlessly fascinated 2012 feature specifically focused on the Iowa State Fair’s deep-fried foods on a stick—the event’s signature serving style. More than 50 different treats come on a stick each year.

　　There are plenty of such offerings this year, along with 64 all-new items for the sampling. The fair runs from August 10-20, so you can start menu planning now.

　　

New foods at the 2023 Iowa State Fair

Here’s the full list of the new foods to get excited about this year. Some of them are delightfully devoid of explanation, so we’ll have to use our imaginations:

　　Vietnamese Sandwich (Banh Mi) Salted Coffee (Café Muoi) A-Hootenanny ice creamAmish DonutsApple Pie Cookie Ice CreamBacon and Sweet Corn Lobster RollsBacon Cheddar Pretzel DogBauder’s Cherry Dream Ice CreamBerry Bowl Frozen SorbetBirch Beer SodaBlueberry Mini DonutsBubble TeaBucket of SodaBuffalo Chicken Bacon Ranch FriesBurrito BowlButterbeer Ice CreamByrd Dawg Crispy Chicken SandwichCaramel Apple Cake PopsCatfish in a Boat or on a StickChicken Salad HoagieChopped Brisket SandwichChopped Italian Chicken HoagieChopped Italian Ham HoagieChopped Italian Roast Beef HoagieCitrus Boost Energy DrinkCookie Dough SundaeCotton Candy ArtCotton Candy Cheese CakeCraft Link on a StickCrunchy Cool Ranch Pickle on a StickDeep Fried Bacon Brisket Mac-N-Cheese Grilled CheeseDeep Fried Strawberry Shortcake on a StickDeep Fried Sweet Corn NuggetDill Pickle Flavored Cheese CurdsDough Crazy (Chocolate Chip, Cake Batter, Brownie Batter, Brookie, CC Dough w/o CC, Monster, Cherry Chocolate Chip, Cookies and Cream) Sweet StickFried Caramel Apple Cow TailGrilled Shrimp on a StickGrinder BallHot Stuff Grilled CheeseIowa Sweet Corn SundaeIowa Twinkie (Jalapeno Filled with Pulled Pork, Corn and Cream Cheese, Wrapped in Bacon, Smoked with Sweet and Sticky BBQ, Finished with Ranch)Korean Bacon Egg DogKorean Egg DogLamb Gyro SaladMade from Scratch Bacon Maple Monkey BreadOrange (with Peppermint) SipperOrange FloatOrange SlushOrange-FrostyOreo Brownie BlastPeanut Butter Cream DonutsPop Corn ShrimpPork Belly PinwheelRaspberry Chipotle Grilled CheeseShrimp CevicheShrimp Poke BowlShrimp TacosSoft Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough SundaeSouthern Fried Corn on the CobThe Ooey Gooey All American Grilled CheeseUbe Funnel CakeWalking Banana DessertWalking Smores DessertWalleye in a Boat or on a StickWere you counting? That’s seven new foods on a stick. It’s probably for the best that prices aren’t yet listed beside each item.

　　Particularly intriguing are all the items that are sort of hard to form a mental picture of. “Bucket of soda”? Is that simply an ice bucket filled with bottles, or is it like Fried Coke, introduced at the State Fair of Texas in 2006? If the latter, it might pair well with the Dill Pickle Cheese Curds, a form of which also made their debut at PNC Park this year.

　　“Dough Crazy” sounds like there’s a hell of a lot going on—maybe too much to try teasing apart here. But if we’re going for something chaotic, surely it’s the Iowa Twinkie. In fact, that might be our favorite item out of all 64 on this list.

　　

Other notable state fair foods

State fairs are clearly a font of culinary creativity, and they’ve pretty much always served that purpose. The Minnesota State Fair’s beloved institution of Swedish egg coffee, for example, was popularized by the Salem Lutheran Church, which first set up its annual tent on the fair’s Midway in 1950. And while the origins of the corn dog remain contested, its roots can indisputably be traced back to state fairs in multiple states.

　　In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, state fairgrounds knew they’d have to get clever if they wanted to proceed with anything close to their normal operations. One Midwestern solution was the Wisconsin State Fair Food Drive-Thru, which allowed cars—58,456 of them, all told—to pull up to each kiosk and grab unique offerings such as cream puffs, lemonade, and a brand-new dill pickle pizza, all at a comfortable social distance. The lines were so long that drivers were warned to arrive with a full tank of gas. These are, apparently, the lengths we’ll go to in order to secure our favorite once-a-year foods. Can anyone who’s tasted pickle pizza honestly say they wouldn’t do the same?