Each year, thousands of people come to Hutchinson, Kansas, to attend the Kansas State Fair for the rides, animal shows, and most importantly the food. I went with my friend, Jazmin, to find the most unique foods. Here were my top 6 eats at the fair and also a quick guide to those who are planning to go.
My first advice is to make sure you look at the map to see where the main entrance and public parking are. I just followed my Google Maps and it took me to Gate 1 which is fine if you already have a physical ticket, but I ordered mine online the night before. So Jazmin and I walked about half a mile from where we parked to find out we had to go to the “Will Call” building on the other side of the fairgrounds. Instead of walking back to my car, we decided to walk around to the other side which was about a 15 minute walk.
Once we got to the “Will Call” building which is in front of the public parking area, the attendants had trouble finding my tickets. Apparently, they didn’t have it printed yet since I ordered them at 5:15pm the night before. And to top it off, their printer and internet weren’t working so they couldn’t print my ticket there. They printed them at the main office and had someone walk it down to us. All of the attendants at the building were extremely nice, and the wait wasn’t bad.
Before going, I thought you would need food vouchers at each stand, but it actually varied. Some stands took only cash, some took credit cards, some took food vouchers, and some took all. When we walked in we just went straight to the Administration building which is where they were selling their food tickets. Make sure you walk to the entrance towards the back of the building since you can’t get public access to the ticket office from the front entrance.
Now to the good part! Here’s my top 6 foods to try at the Kansas State Fair (in the order that we tried the food)
1. CHOCOLATE DIPPED CHEESECAKE DIPPED IN NUTS
It was just a simple item - a cheesecake slice dipped in chocolate and then rolled in nuts. But it had the crunch from the nuts, creaminess and sweetness from the chocolate and cheesecake that made it a great combination.
WONDER BAR
311 BISON BLVD
COST: $7
2. CHEESY BACON PORK RINDS
This one really surprised me. They take two cheese sticks and put it on a wooden stick. Then they roll it in a thicker version of their blooming onion batter and roll it in a mix of pork rinds and bacon, and then they deep fry it. I almost thought this bite would be too rich, but it wasn’t!
DUSEK ONION
316 FORT RILEY BLVD
COST: $6 FOR ONE STICK OR $10 FOR TWO STICKS
3. DOUGHNUT BURGER
Two Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts act as the buns to this burger. Between the buns you can find a beef patty, American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion. I was skeptical before I took a bite, but now I’m a believer!
CAROUSEL CAFE
306 FORT RILEY BLVD
COST: $10.50
4. STUFFED CUCUMBER WITH SEAFOOD SALAD
A giant cucumber is peeled, cored, and then filled with seafood salad (mayo, imitation crab, celery). After walking around in the heat, this was the perfect food to eat. It brought life back into my body, no lie.
DUSEK MEXICAN
302 GRANDSTAND AVE
COST: $7
5. FRIED ALLIGATOR ON A STICK
Jazmin has never had alligator meat before, so this was fun watching her try it for the first time. I really enjoyed the seasoning flour that they used to coat the meat. It was mild, yet distinct. They serve it with cocktail sauce, but they have some other sauces and seasonings on the side if you want something different.
MIDSTATE COOKERS
410 GRANDSTAND AVE
COST: $9
6. FRIED OREOS AND PEACHES
Another really simple, yet tasty food item. They used a funnel cake batter for the oreos and peaches. The oreos were really sweet and delicious, but I wouldn’t be able to eat a lot of them. The peaches were plump and juicy - I got a mouth full of juice after biting into it.
BRACKETT CONCESSIONS (COOKIE DOUGH)
303 FORT RILEY BLVD
COST: $5 EACH
Overall, it was a great experience! I highly recommend you travel to Hutchinson, Kansas to experience the Kansas State Fair yourself. It runs from September 6-15. You can get my full reactions on the foods on my YouTube page (don’t forget to subscribe!), and if you’re short on time, watch the Facebook version!
Kansas State Fair
2000 N Poplar St
Hutchinson, Kansas 67502
(620) 669-3600