Texas State Fair Food Guide: Corny Dogs and Big Tex Awards

Texas State Fair food is the reason many people go to Fair Park in Dallas each autumn: a midway of fried, stuffed and skewered inventions, from the classic corny dog to creations that win a yearly award. Here is what to eat, how to handle the lines and how to plan a visit.

The fair announces dates each year, so check its website. Fried food on a stick or in a bag is a tradition that stretches back generations.

Fair Park in Dallas fills with fried, stuffed and skewered food each autumn, and a yearly contest singles out new creations. Go on a weekday, eat first at the busiest stalls and share, since portions are large.

What is Texas State Fair food known for?

The fair is known for fried food on a stick or in a bag, a tradition that stretches back generations. The corny dog, a hot dog dipped in cornmeal batter and fried, is the signature. Fried butter, fried Coke, fried pies, turkey legs and funnel cakes are others, and each year brings new combinations.

The State Fair of Texas in Dallas is held at Fair Park, a historic site with Art Deco buildings. The food stands are spread across the grounds.

What is Fletcher's Corny Dog?

Fletcher's Corny Dogs is the name most closely tied to the fair. The stand has been part of the Texas State Fair for generations, and its corny dog is a mustard-dabbed, batter-dipped hot dog on a stick.

Eat it hot, and add mustard. It is better fresh from the fryer than anything you reheat at home. The batter should be sweet and golden, the hot dog juicy and the stick sturdy. Many visitors eat one on arrival and another on the way out.

What are the Big Tex Choice Awards?

The Big Tex Choice Awards are a yearly contest for the best new fair foods, judged by celebrity and local judges. Past winners included Burger Chop Tater Tacos, hamburger tacos in a tater tot shell, in the savory category, the Tropical Coco Fresca as best sipper and Berry Me in Matcha cheesecake as most creative.

The list changes yearly, so use it for a sense of the fair, not as a menu.

How does the State Fair of Texas Dallas experience work?

The fair opens in late September and runs through most of October. It includes a midway, rides, livestock shows, concerts and a car show, and the food is a central part of the day. A visit is a mix of walking, eating and waiting in lines.

Arrive early to avoid the biggest crowds, and plan a route around the stalls you want. Wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen. Fair Park is large, and the walk between the midway, the exhibit halls and the food stalls adds up. Bring a refillable bottle if the rules allow, and check the fair's website for current policies on bags and entry.

What should you eat first?

Start with the classic, a corny dog, then pick one award winner and one stranger. Share, because portions are large and the fried items are heavy. Drink water between bites, and save a sweet item for the end.

A good plan is to eat three things at the fair and take a picture of the rest. You will be full sooner than you think.

What is fried fair food, really?

It is a way to turn a simple idea into a spectacle. Cooks dip, batter and fry everything from candy bars to avocados. Some inventions are brilliant, some are only memorable and a few are meant to be shared. Judges and visitors argue about all of them.

If you have dietary needs, ask at each stand. Many offer vegetarian or gluten-free options, but fryers are shared.

How to plan for next year

Check the fair's website in spring for dates, ticket information and the schedule of the awards. Plan your visit for a weekday if you can, since weekends are busy and the lines at the most popular stands can be long. Decide in advance how much you want to spend, and bring a small bag. A short list of must-try items saves time, and a friend to share with saves room.

If you cannot attend, the fair's food is also covered by local news, which publish finalists and winners each summer. Reading the list is a good way to see how fair cooks think: they take a familiar dish, such as a taco, a cheesecake or a cocktail, and change it into something that can be eaten while walking.

What to read next

For more Texas eating, read the Texas regional dishes guide, the Dallas barbecue guide and the Uptown and Knox-Henderson guide. The US guides page lists more.

Rating by the dish makes fair food easy to compare. Try the same kind of treat at two stands, rate each in the Mosey app and add a line on the crunch, the heat or the size of the portion, so the difference shows up in your own notes.

Fair food is easy to forget by the next morning. In the Mosey app you can rate every treat, note the stand and the year and keep a list for the next time you go.