Tulsa State Fair Food: How to Eat Your Way Through

Tulsa State Fair food is a big part of why about a million people go each fall, and the fair lasts 11 days at Expo Square. The midway is crowded and the menu is long, so a plan helps. Here is how to pace a tasting day and what to ask a stand.

Check the fair's organizers for current dates, hours and gate rules.

What is the Tulsa State Fair?

According to Wikipedia, the Tulsa State Fair was first held in 1903 as the Tulsa County Free Fair, and it now takes place at Expo Square. It runs for 11 days, usually starting in late September and sometimes reaching into early October. Wikipedia gives attendance of about 1,075,000 in 2023.

Fair officials told a local television station that the crowd spent more than 4 million dollars at concession stands in 2019. That is a sign of how central food is to the day. Many people go mainly to eat.

How do you plan Tulsa State Fair food?

Walk the whole grounds before you buy anything. A first lap tells you what is on offer, where the lines are shortest and which stands are cooking something you have never seen. Each year brings new and unusual food choices, so expect surprises.

Then set a budget of stomach, not only money. Share each item with a friend, so you can taste five things and not two. Choose one item per course: something savory, something sweet, something to drink and something fresh to reset. The classic Oklahoma choice, the Indian taco, is a meal on its own.

Which fried foods should you try first?

Start with what is fried to order, since it is best straight from the oil. Ask the person at the window how long the item has been sitting and whether it is made fresh. Hot, crisp food at the beginning of the day is better than something held under a lamp in the late afternoon.

Pace yourself. Fried foods are heavy, and a second round of them is rarely as good as the first. Plan a break with water and a walk through the livestock or exhibit barns before you eat again. A cool, simple snack between rounds resets your palate and makes the next bite taste better.

What should you ask about allergens at concession stands?

A fair stand is a small kitchen, and many share fryers, oil and surfaces. If you have an allergy, say so clearly before you order, and ask what the item is cooked in and what else is cooked in the same oil. Ask whether any sauces or toppings contain the ingredient you avoid. Peanut oil, wheat batter and shared fryers are common at fairs.

Treat the answer as information, never as a guarantee. If the person is unsure or the line is rushed, choose another stand. Nobody at a stand will mind a polite question, and a rushed yes is worse than a patient no. The vegetarian guide lists the questions for meat-free eating.

Is the 11 days a long time for one fair?

Yes, and that helps. Because the fair is so long, you do not have to eat everything in one visit. Many people go twice, once for the fried classics and once for something new, and a second trip is a good way to retry a dish you liked. Splitting the tasting over two days also keeps the day easy on your stomach and your budget.

When is the best time to go for food?

Weekday afternoons are usually calmer than weekend evenings, and the first hour after the gates open tends to be the freshest for fried food. Weather matters: the Wikipedia article on Tulsa gives a July average high of about 93.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and fall can still be warm, so carry water and shade your hands from hot oil and hot plates.

Check the organizers for the schedule of special events and any food contests, and do not rely on a past year's dates. Bring a small bag with wipes, a bottle of water and cash or a card for the stands, and wear shoes you can stand in for hours.

How do you keep fair notes with Mosey?

Open the Mosey app between stands. Rate the dish, not only the stand: a rating needs a place and stars, and you can name the item, add a tag and a photo. A line such as crisp batter, too salty, would share again is useful next year. Tag the friends who split it so each can add a view.

Make a list called Fair day and share it by invite link, so your group can compare notes on the way home. Following friends shows what they rated and saved. The Friends' picks layer on the map shows where people you follow have eaten, which is handy when you travel across a state for a fair.

Mosey backs the cooks behind the counter: free to list, with affordable tools for the places that grow out of a fair.

Where else can you read about Tulsa?

Read the finding good food guide for the city beyond the fairgrounds and the Indian taco guide. See the Tulsa page, the Oklahoma page and the US food guides.

Before your next fair, open the Mosey app, start a list and rate each plate as you go.