Audacious variations on funnel cakes, chicken wings among new vendor items at Indiana State Fair

The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Funnel Cake sold by Indiana State Fair vendor R&W Concessions features the breakfast cereal, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla icing. (Photo provided by the Indiana State Fair)

The Indiana State Fair on Tuesday morning unveiled 43 new vendor menu items, including bold variations on chicken wings and funnel cakes.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Chicken Wings and Tang-A-Rang Smoked Chicken Wings served with Kool-Aid Infused Pickles will be available at the fair, which is scheduled Aug. 2-18. The fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St., will be closed on Mondays.

In the realm of funnel cakes, concession stands will offer Cinnamon Toast Crunch Funnel Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake Funnel Cake and Deep Fried Golden Oreo (in which a cookie is coated in funnel cake mix before being fried).

Fair attendees can vote for their favorite new food items by visiting information booths or by using QR codes displayed at participating “Taste of the Fair” concession stands. A $2,500 cash prize will be awarded to the winning vendor, followed by $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place.

Meanwhile, the top three vendors will receive automatic entry to the World Food Championships, which are scheduled for November at the fairgrounds.

For more information about the savory, sweet and beverage items joining the menu lineup, visit indianastatefair.com.

Savory

• Aloha Hot Honey Chicken Nachos (Sold by Urick Concessions)
• Amish Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites (Wilson Concession)
• BBQ Totchos, tater tots, pulled pork, cheese sauce, jalapenos, sour cream and BBQ sauce (Wagner Food Services)
• Bison Smashburger Taco (Red Frazier Food Truck)
• Bratzilla, bratwurst, queso, BBQ pulled pork, crispy onions and jalapenos on a pretzel bun (Urick Concessions)
• Chili Cheese Empanada (Newfields)
• Chili Cheese Frito Corn in a Cup (Wilson Concessions)
• The Everything Fry, curly fries topped by cheese, bacon bits, ranch, pulled pork and BBQ sauce (SW Concessions)
• The Godfather Egg Roll, egg roll stuffed with spaghetti and meat sauce (J & J A Taste of Home Catering & Food Truck)
• Gravy and Taters (Colp’s Concessions)
• Grilled Cheese Slammer, grilled cheese sandwich filled with BBQ pork, mac and cheese and fried pickles (Freund Family Food)
• Happy Jack Sandwich, shredded jackfruit blended with bourbon maple sauce on a pretzel bun (Black Leaf Vegan)
• Hoosier Cowboy Sandwich, ribeye steak sandwich tucked between two slices of pepper jack cheese on grilled sourdough bread (Indiana Beef Cattle Association)
• The Korean Corn Dog, a fried hot dog topped by ketchup, mustard, sweet chili Thai sauce and Sriracha (Meatball Factory LLC)
• Spicy Pickle Pizza (Swains Concessions)
• Hot Honey Pepperoni Pull Grilled Cheese (American Dairy Association)
• Indiana Pork Riblets (Indiana Pork Producers)
• Jerk Chicken Nachos (Jamaican Breeze Sports Bar & Grill)
• Melty Mess Grilled Cheese, sandwich featuring havarti, cheddar and muenster on sourdough bread (American Dairy Association)
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Chicken Wings (Urick Concessions)
• Sweet & Spicy Swine Pizza, pizza topped by pulled pork, jalapenos, BBQ chips and BBQ sauce (Ginocchio’s Pizza)
• Sweet Chili Suga Daddy Sub, turkey meatballs in a doughnut (Gobble Gobble Food Truck)
• Tang-A-Rang Smoked Chicken Wings served with Kool-Aid Infused Pickles (Red Frazier Food Truck)
• Ultimate Steak Nachos (Georgia’s Kitchen)

Sweet

• Blueberry Cheesecake Stuffed Elephant Ear (The Bakerman)
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Funnel Cake (R & W Concessions)
• Cookie Butter Elephant Ear (Urick Concessions)
• Deep Fried Golden Oreo (Orme Deep Fried Treats)
• Fried Ice Cream Cone (Freud Family Foods)
• Fried Sugar Biscuit n’ BBQ with Apple Butter Sauce (Nitro Hog BBQ)
• Strawberry Cheesecake Funnel Cake (LT Concessions)
• Strawberry Shortcake (Twisted Drinks And Food)

Beverages

• All-American Mary, Bloody Mary cocktail accented by a mini corn on the cob, cheeseburger slider, fried mac and cheese, fried pickles, waffle fries, hot dog slider and a mini apple pie. (Urick Concessions)
• Blue Ribbon Blueberry Milkshake (American Dairy Association)
• Boba Lemonade Shake-Up (Indiana Ribeye)
• Chocolate Caramel Coffee Float (Hook’s Drug Store Museum and Soda Fountain)
• Dill Pickle Dr. Pepper (R & W Concessions)
• Dill Pickle Lemon Shake-Up (R & W Concessions)
• Peach Shake Up, featuring Hi & Mighty gin (Hi & Mighty)
• Shark Attack, a fruit punch lemon twister accented by Albanese gummy sharks (Twisted Drinks And Food)
• State Fair Pickle Beer (Sun King Brewing)
• Sweet Tea Slushy (Swains Concessions)
• Tropical Daze Float (McGrotha Foods)