A Great Taste of a Fair
Are you excited about the doughnut burger making its debut at the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair? Have you always thought that the perfect piece of bacon was just missing a creamy chocolate coating? Do feel that food actually tastes better if it’s on a stick? If you answered yes to any of these questions (and maybe even if you didn’t), we think you are going to be excited about the 1st Annual Great Taste of a Fair.
Great Taste of a Fair is a brand new contest that we have developed for professional food vendors at the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair. Contracted food vendors have been invited to enter ONE food item to be judged across four categories:
- BEST TASTING: How many different ways can you say ‘yum’?
- BEST PRESENTATION: It was so pretty I could’ve eaten it – Oh wait, I did!
- MOST UNIQUE IDEA: I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life!
- PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: Fairgoers will have an opportunity to cast votes via text message for their favorite item.
A crack team of judges from the OKC area will be taking care of the first 3 categories on the morning of Opening Day (Sept. 16). Judging will take place “in the field” so our judges can experience the true sights, sounds, and smells of the Fair. After the votes are tallied, the winners (of the first 3 categories) will be announced during the Opening Ceremony that evening. Fairgoers will have an opportunity to come out to the Fair and vote for their favorite entry through Monday, September 20. After that, voting will close so that we can determine the winner.
Right now we have approximately 20 confirmed entries by many different types of vendors. The judges will taste EVERY SINGLE ENTRY to determine the winners of the first three categories.
Fairgoers don’t need to taste every single item in order to vote for the People’s Choice Award. We feel that once you see the list of items, something or a few somethings will catch your eye. Picking out what you want to eat is part of the judging process! Once you’ve sampled the fare, take a few minutes to send us your vote. Then go ride the Ferris Wheel or check out the cars in the DriveOKC.com Auto Show or catch a concert or go get splashed by a sea lion or….
We will release the list of vendors and the items in a few days, but there is something else you should know: We need an additional judge to help with judging on the morning of September 16. This ‘wild card’ judge will join the judging team and get a chance to eat some of the best and most unique culinary creations you have ever heard of.
Sound awesome? Here’s how to apply:
In 250 words or less, tell us why you are the ultimate Fair food fan and why you should be chosen as the ‘wild card’ judge for the 1st Annual Great Taste of a Fair Contest.
All applicants must email their response to fairfood@okstatefair.com. The essay MUST be written in the body of the email. Please do not send attachments, they will not be opened.
Please include this information with your response:
- First and Last Name
- Current Address
- Phone Number(s)
- List of any food related allergies
Emails will be accepted through Sunday, September 5. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, September 8. In addition to free Fair food, the winner will receive 4 Season Passes to the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair, 1 Season Parking Pass, 4 tickets to Xtreme Bulls Tour and Concerts (choice of dates) and other goodies.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Our inbox is waiting.
Would you like Chocolate Covered Deep-Fried Bacon on your Doughnut Burger?
The Oklahoma State Fair, which has been going strong for a little over 100 years now, is a huge event in Oklahoma City. Every September, Fair traditions, like rides, animals and cooking contests draw in a crowd of roughly 1 million people over the course of 11 days. But let’s be honest: the food is one of, if not THE, biggest draws.
Fair food fans start dreaming of turkey legs and Indian tacos a few months before the Fair. Instead of sugarplums, visions of deep-fried Twinkies dance in their heads. Regular food starts to look unappealing. Who can get excited about plain birthday cake when there is fresh funnel cake to be eaten in September?
All of your favorite irresistible Fair foods will be back again this year, but we’ve also got a few new gastronomic adventures that you might want to try. What are you waiting for? Read on!
Disclaimer: You may want to keep a tissue handy. Heavy salivation is about to occur.
NEW Foods for the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair:
- Chocolate-Covered Deep-Fried Bacon
- Chocolate-Dipped Cookie Dough On-A-Stick
- Red Beans ‘n’ Rice wit’ Andouille Sausage
- Deep-Fried Coke
- Deep-Fried S’mores
- Boudin Sausage On-A-Stick
- Cajun Fish Taco
- Crawfish Etoufee
- Deep-Fried Cream Cheese With Real Bacon On-A-Stick
- Deep-Fried Cinnamon Roll On-A-Stick
- Alligator On-A-Stick
- Deep-Fried Pizza
- Doughnut Burger
- Egg On-A-Stick
- Giant Foot Long Chocolate-Covered Rice Krispies Treat On-A-Stick
- Pork Parfait
- Gumbo Vieux Carre
- Orange Cake New Orleans
- Pie Tin Shrimp
We can’t mention all of the new foods without mentioning our brand new contest. This year we will be holding a contest for Fair food vendors called ‘A Great Taste of a Fair.’ Participating vendors will have the chance to compete for cash prizes and bragging rights in 4 different categories: Best Tasting, Best Presentation, Most Unique Idea, and PEOPLE’S CHOICE.
That’s right. You will get a chance to vote for your favorite. Stay tuned for more details…
Oh, and you might want to buy some elastic waist pants.
How does a pig get from the Fair to Tipton, Oklahoma?
One of the most popular attractions at the Oklahoma State Fair is the Barnyard Birthing Center located in Barn # 3. And one of the most popular baby animals with Fairgoers is a piglet. We are pretty sure that everyone falls in love with their tiny pink noses!
With the assistance of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), we are able to present sows that have either just farrowed (“farrow” is the correct term, not “birth” when discussing pigs) or that will farrow sometime during the Fair. Fairgoers are always anxious to see if they can predict the correct time of the impending birth, and many come back frequently to check on the growth of the newborn piglets.
One little piggie, two little piggie, three little piggie...
This attraction offers “city folks” a close up view of how Mother Nature actually works, with, of course, the assistance of the modern American pork producer. It also gives youngsters the opportunity to see firsthand, perhaps, a live birth as well as the opportunity to see a mother feed her piglets.
In addition to the above benefits of this exhibit, there is something else that most people don’t know about: when the Fair ends, the sows and their piglets are delivered to the Tipton Home in Tipton, Oklahoma for the residents to raise and care for. The Tipton Home is a place of love, learning, and shelter for approximately 40 children at any given time. Caring for these sows and piglets, donated by the Oklahoma State Fair, will help instill the “Three R’s” of the Tipton Home: Respect, Resourcefulness and Responsibility.
The Oklahoma State Fair and the OVMA are pleased to be able to contribute not only to the rare and exciting viewing opportunities offered to our Fairgoers but also to the education and enrichment of the blessed children at the Tipton Home.
The Latest Addition to State Fair Park
The temporary ticket booths that have been used to greet fair goers at Gates 9 & 10 have been replaced. In their place, this year, will be a permanent ticket plaza. Money from the hotel/motel construction budget was used to make this addition to State Fair Park. This plaza area will help to “dress up” the entrance and gives fair goers an additional landmark at State Fair Park. Workers have been putting in extra hours to get the new ticket plaza finished right in time for the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair.
Check out the pictures to see the progress:
Friday Fare Feature – Olive and Avocado Salad
The Friday Fare Feature is a weekly post on Fair Slice Blog showcasing one of the award-winning recipes from an Oklahoma State Fair cooking contest.
Did you know that Olives appeared in the earliest cookbook ever discovered? Michelle Robertson, the winner of the 2009 Lindsay Olive Salad Lovers Contest, takes an “old” favorite and turns it into a popular hit. Try out yourself!
Olive and Avocado Salad
3 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, chopped
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
1 3.8 oz can sliced Lindsey Black Olives, rinsed and drained
2 heaping tbsp. chopped Lindsey Black Olives
¼ cup Lindsey Kalamata Olives, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. Italian seasonings
6 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
4 oz. of crumbled feta
2 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Smoked Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste
12 Toast Points
Mix all ingredients together, folding in the avocado last. Top with Smoked Sea Salt and Ground Pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes, serve on toast points.
Got creativity? Prove it!
Do you dream of scrapbook page layouts? Do you love the smell of a fresh roll of duct tape? Are you a foodie? Have you ever considered trying to win a blue ribbon at the Fair? If you haven’t, we hope that this post will change your mind.
The Creative Arts Program at the Oklahoma State Fair is traditional – with a twist. Of course, we have all of the annual contests that our ‘regulars’ know and love: baking, china painting, basket weaving, and quilting are some of the time-tested favorites. But did you know that we also have contests for fine arts, faux furniture painting, a cake decorating contest – for UGLY cakes, a men vs. women chili cook-off, and a paper airplane contest?
The 2010 Oklahoma State Fair will feature over 100 contests that focus on every form of craft, hobby, and talent imaginable. We even have a Twitter based contest for all you tweeps out there. The contests are open to just about everyone — young and old, male and female, talented and not-so-talented (that’s why we have a contest for ‘ugly’ cakes).
Entering is simple and, best of all, free. All you need to do to get started is check out what we have to offer by downloading a competition guide for the area(s) that you are interested in:
- China, Ceramics, and Antiques
- Cooking
- Fine Arts, Craft and Hobbies
- Jr. Arts and Crafts
- Needlecraft
- Photography
Once you have your contest picked out that you want to participate in, you can register online or you can send in an entry form. It is that easy. The hardest part is picking out what you want to do. You need to act fast – the deadline to register is August 16. You can enter after August 16, but you will be charged a late fee.
Creative Arts competitors are already working on their projects by fine tuning recipes and craft projects. So if you are interested in competing in the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair Creative Arts Contests, grab your electric mixers, hot glue gun, and needle and thread, because the competition is heating up!
How to Spend a Day at the Fair for FREE (or really, really cheap!)
Nothing beats having good old fashioned fun at the Oklahoma State Fair except good old fashioned FREE fun at the Oklahoma State Fair! From music to food to entertainment acts, once you walk through our gates, you can find a ton of activities to keep you and your family occupied without breaking the bank. Here’s how:
Step 1: Come on a discount day
Monday, September 20 is School Kids’ Day – Kids thru grade 12 – FREE!
Tuesday, September 21 is Armed Forces’ Day – Armed Forces Personnel and spouses – FREE! (Don’t forget your military ID)
Wednesday, September 22 is Senior Citizens’ Day – Senior Citizens 55+ – FREE!
If you don’t fall into one of the above categories, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. You might not be able to get into the Fair for free, but you can get in with the change that you can scrounge up in your couch cushions.
Thursday, September 16 is Opening Day – EVERYONE gets into the Fair for $1.
Tuesday, September 21 is Two Dollar Tuesday – Everyone gets into the Fair for $2.
Step 2: Talk to the animals
What’s a visit to the Oklahoma State Fair worth if you don’t see an animal or two? Walk over to Centennial Plaza and visit Hedrick’s Petting Zoo. This tent holds tons of furry and feathered friends, and it is free and open to the public. You can see and pet almost every animal you can imagine from pot-bellied pigs to zebras, emus, kangaroos, and maybe even a giraffe.
If you’d like to take your visit a step further, feed for the animals costs just a little bit. Don’t forget to visit the hand-washing station after petting the critters, because your next stop is for Fair food…
Step 3: Eat for FREE or spend $2 and eat like a king
If you have never been inside the Creative Arts Building, you are missing out on seeing all of the beautiful handmade exhibits from Oklahoma crafters and artisans. You are also missing out on a smorgasbord of free or cheap eats. Every day, the Kitchen Stage in the Creative Arts Building has at least one cooking demonstration scheduled (most days hold a more than one). During the demos, chefs hand out tons of free samples from whatever they are making that day. These aren’t just ‘tastes,’ they are very generous samples of all kinds of tasty foods like quesadillas, chili, omelets, chips and dips, etc.
The Creative Arts Building is also where all of the cooking competitions are held during the Fair. Most of the competitions are judged by local chefs and food critics, but a few contests are judged by the general public. These contests include:
- Some Like it Hot: Fresh Salsa Contest – Thursday, Sept. 16 at 6 pm
- “What a Crock” Crock-pot Challenge – Friday, Sept. 17 at 6 pm
- Dairy MAX’s From Cow to the Cone Homemade Ice Cream Contest – Sunday, Sept. 19 at 2 pm
- Battle of the Sexes: Chili Champs – Friday, Sept. 24 at 6 pm
Judging one of these contests allows you to get a sample of each entry entered in the contest. All you need to do is purchase a tasting kit for $2 and vote for your favorite after you have tasted all the dishes. We promise that by the end of the contest you will be full and happy.
Step 4: Sit in on a show
After walking around the petting zoo and the Creative Arts Building, you might need to rest your feet while watching one of our free shows. We suggest stopping by the Capital City Theatre in Barn 3. This theatre offers two great shows to choose from, and it is air conditioned – which is priceless on a hot September day.
The Freddy Fusion Science Magic Show takes place at 1 pm, 3 pm, and 7pm daily. Freddy turns the impossible to the possible, by using comedy and magic to teach the audience about the awesome world of science.
Comedy Hypnotist Dale K will be back for his second year to challenge hypnosis theories, and he will need victims. Errr…volunteers. This can be you, or you can sit back and watch. Shows are 5pm and 8 pm daily.
Step 5: End the evening with a FREE Concert
After you’ve communed with nature, watched a show, and filled up on free (or cheap) goodies, you should end your day with a free concert. Every day, for the entire 11 day run of the Fair, the Chesapeake Energy Stage has a great show lined up: MC Hammer, Eli Young Band, Mitchel Musso, Candy Coburn, and even Elvis! The best part? Every show is free for fairgoers.
This guide is just one approach to have tons of fun at the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair and not spend any money after you pay for gate admission if you don’t want to. There are lots of ways to see the Fair for free or cheap. In fact, you may have to come back several times in order to really do it all. Now, THAT is a lot of bang for your buck!
Friday Fare Feature – Sugar and Spice Tamales
The Friday Fare Feature is a weekly post on Fair Slice Blog showcasing one of the award-winning recipes from an Oklahoma State Fair cooking contest.
Hot Tamales are a hot commodity around the world, but have you thought of making your own kind of tamale? Martha Buehring makes a wonderful batch of “Sugar and Spice Tamales.” They are so good that she won the International Pantry’s Out of this World Cooking Contest at the 2009 Oklahoma State Fair. Your mouth is always in for a treat with this recipe. Sweet or spicy? You will never know until you give it a taste!
Sugar and Spice Tamales
18 dried corn husks
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 ½ cup corn masa mix
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 tbsp. light brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ cup milk
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup, drained
½ cup raisin, chopped
Kitchen string
Soak corn husks in hot water to cover 30 minutes. Separate hunks, and continue soaking 30 more minutes. Drain hunks and pat dry. Tear 4 smallest hunks into 14 strips.
In large bowl, beat shortening at medium speed with a heavy duty mixer for 2 minutes. Combine masa mixture and next four ingredients. Gradually beat masa mixture into shortening. Beat shortening mixture for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Gradually add warm milk to shortening mixture, beating at medium speed just until blended and scraping down sides as needed. Add pumpkin, and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap.
Using hands lightly coated with masa mix, spread about 2 tbsp. dough into a 3 x 4 rectangle on right side of 1 husk, leaving a ½ boarder on the right side and a 2 inch border from narrow bottom end of husk.
Spoon about 1 ½ tbsp. pineapple on dough. Sprinkle with about 1 ½ tsp. raisins. Roll up husk, rolling left side over right, enclosing pineapple mixture and raisins completely in dough. Fold bottom narrow end up and over and secure with husk strips or kitchen string.
Place 2 tamales side by side, seam sides inward and open ends facing same direction. Tie tamales together with kitchen string, serving bundles at top above dough. Repeat procedure with remaining tamales. Arrange tamale bundles, open ends up, in a steamer basket over boiling water as needed.
Cover for 35 minutes, adding more boiling water as needed. Remove tamales from Dutch oven and let stand 5 minutes. Serve with vanilla sauce or Mexican chocolate sauce.
Vanilla Sauce
¾ cup whipping cream
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 tbsp. butter
Combine whipping cream and next 4 ingredients in a small saucepan. Carefilly scrape seeds from vanilla bean into saucepan. Add vanilla bean to saucepan, and cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened.
Remove sauce pan from heat. Carefully remove vanilla bean. Stir in butter intil melted. Serve immediately.store sauce in an airtight container in refrigerater up to 5 days.
Mexican Chocolate Sauce
2 package Mexican chocolate, broken into pieces
¾ cup whipping cream
2 tsp. light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. butter
Combine chocolate, whipping cream, brown sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Cool, whisking occasionally, over low heat until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted. Serve immediately.
Digital Photo Shootout
I’m sure we have all witnessed this scene play out in hundreds of western movies: it’s high noon and two cowboy silhouettes slowly stroll to the center of Main Street in a dusty cow town. A tumbleweed rolls down a vacant sidewalk. Slow guitar music plays in the background as the two gunslingers square off and face each other. Suspense builds until they draw out their cameras and start taking pictures of one another making goofy faces.
OK, maybe you haven’t seen this scene exactly, but you might see this chain of events during the 2010 State Fair Shutterbugs: Digital Photo Shootout. If you enjoy coming to the Fair and taking photographs, then this is the contest for you.
The Shootout is a live contest that takes place during the Fair, but it is limited to the first 50 exhibitors that pre-register. On Sunday, September 19, the day of the contest, participants are provided with parking passes and gate admission so that they can get into the Fair to check in and receive their instructions. During check in, each competitor is given a ‘prop’ that must be included in their photo. Last year’s prop was an aqua blue “I had fun at the Fair” ribbon.
After check-in, shutterbugs scatter themselves from the midway to the barns looking for that one shot that will nab them a 1st place blue ribbon. After a few hours of camera clicking, exhibitors return to the check in spot to upload their photo. Only ONE photo may be entered into the compilation slideshow for judging. Once the slideshow is created, it is displayed for one hour, and everyone has a chance to vote for their favorite photos. Last year, it was very entertaining to see the aqua ribbon show up in so many places across State Fair Park and be used in so many different ways.
See for yourself:
If you think this contest sounds like fun, register now – we can only take the first 50 people and slots are really going quickly.
To register:
- Download the Photography Competition Guide and entry form HERE.
- Review the rules.
- Send in an entry form or enter online.
- We will notify you if you are one of the lucky 50.
What’s New at the Fair?
As of today (July 26), the Fair is only 51 days away! Can you stand it? In less than two months, Oklahomans will have 11 days of fun, food, and a ton of NEW things to do at this year’s Fair. Of course there are concerts, rides, and lots of fun, but everyone will be amazed at how many new exhibits, shows, and contests have been added this year. Here is just a snippet of some of the new stuff we have in store for you!
NEW during the 59th Annual Oklahoma State Fair Band Day
Let’s start with the newest edition to the 59th Annual Oklahoma State Fair Band Day Parade competition. This year, Drum Majors and Drum Lines have their own categories. This means that instead of 2 ways to win, there are now 4 ways to WIN! One of the best parts of this yearly event is that there are no entry fees. So, essentially, Oklahoma high school marching bands will be competing for trophies and cash awards for FREE! So gear up for fast drum cadences, colorful uniforms, and melodious sounds of the bands, because it will be a must see competition.
NEW in the Centennial Frontier Experience
Now, if you aren’t a band loving person, or drums aren’t your thing, check out the One-Armed Bandit. The One Armed Bandit was born John Payne in Shidler, Oklahoma in 1953. In 1973, after an accident caused 7,200 volts of electricity to run through his entire body burning his right hand, he became the One-Armed Bandit. At the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair, the One-Armed Bandit, two dogs, a whip, a herd buffalo and longhorn cattle will have a specialty act that you don’t want to miss. All the animals including buffalo and longhorn cattle will be on top of, instead of in, the trailer. How will the One-Armed Bandit do such a thing? You will have to check out his show taking place daily at 1:00 P.M. and 7 P.M. in the Centennial Frontier Experience.
For the rest of you thrill seekers, we also will feature another new western act in the Centennial Frontier Experience. Max Reynolds will be here daily at 1:00, 4:30, and 7:00 P.M. Reynolds’ latest show, “Wild Wild West Shows,” brings a whole new breath of life to live performances and stunts. Max’s show will include trick riding, rope tricks, and gun slinging, so this will be a “must-see” show for western fans all ages. You have to see it to believe.
NEW in the Dr Pepper Family Fun Zone
Last year we opened the Dr Pepper Family Fun Zone, and it was such a hit with Fairgoers that we are bringing it back for a second year–but it will be bigger and better. In 2009, the Zone had three attractions – this year we’ve added more, a lot more:
Euro Bubbles is one of the new editions. But what is a Euro Bubble? Just mix a few bumper boats with a human-sized hamster ball, and you have Euro Bubbles! Participants will be zipped up in a clear ball floating in a pool of water. Be careful -you will be surprised at how hard it will be to keep your balance – especially when you are trying to knock over your friends!
If you didn’t believe that dinosaurs existed, we challenge you to check out The Creature “Tour the Beast 2010.” Fairgoers with strong stomachs can walk through a 150 foot long dinosaur and see its internal organs and structures. You enter through its mouth and you exit, well, let’s just leave it at that.
Dinosaurs are cool, but if you still want more, maybe you would like to attempt the Rock Wall by AirBound. Grab a few friends and test your abilities on a 25 foot climb. The wall includes numerous routes to suit the skill level of every climber. Once you get to the top, simply lean back for a safe landing back to the ground.
Now if you enjoy heights, but aren’t a fan of rock climbing, how about trying Gone Fish’n Slide by SuperPlay. Sliders climb up a huge wave, make it to the top of this 33 foot tall slide. For the finale, you get to slide down the inside of a huge shark’s mouth!
If you absolutely are terrified of heights, don’t worry, because the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair has things for you to do too. Amazon Adventure by Icon Amusements is an 200 foot inflatable maze full of palm trees and giant totem poles that you will have to navigate through to make it out alive. IF you make it out alive…
NEW For the Kid in You
The 2010 Oklahoma State Fair has some exciting new things for children of all ages. One of our most anticipated new shows is “All About Science.” Every day at 12:30, 4:30, and 6:30 P.M, this interactive show will get kids involved and engaged in learning about science while having tons of fun at the Fair. Mom and dad might even learn something too.
If you are looking for something completely different, then the new “Bubble Madness” show might be just for you. At 12:30, 2:30, and 5:00 p.m. daily, this new attraction offers a fun-filled and exhilarating look at bubbles of all shapes, sizes and composition. The best part of this 20-minute bubble extravaganza is that some of the audience will be able to participate and get up close and personal with a whole lotta bubbles.
Last, but not least, we have to mention the “Rowdy Rooster Show”! This new edition to the 2010 Oklahoma State Fair is a fun-filled, family event. Rowdy Rooster and friends will delight kids of all ages in this barnyard puppet adventure. After the show, you might get lucky and spot Rowdy driving around State Fair Park in his hot rod roadster.
This year’s Fair is going to be over the top and a lot of fun. Every day will be something new, so I urge you to continue to watch for updates on our Web site (www.okstatefair.com), because you never know what exciting event will pop-up.
