Several new things to try at this year’s Indiana State Fair

Thousands are expected to flock to East 38th Street over the next two weeks for this year’s Indiana State Fair, to explore the Midway, evaluate livestock and enjoy the dozens of food vendors setting up shop.

But with 15 new activities, more than 40 new food or drink items and nearly 20 musical artists making their debut this year, there’s plenty new to see and do, even if you’re a state fair veteran.

IBJ pored through all the options, narrowing them to these surefire bets for making your day at the fair a memorable one:

Carbs galore: This year’s fair has 43 menu items that are new to the Midway, including bold variations on chicken wings and funnel cakes and fun twists on other classics like nachos, fries and pizza.

Each is vying for a spot in the “Taste of the Fair” contest, where the first-place vendor wins $2,500, second place earns $1,000, and third gets $500. The top three vendors also receive an automatic entry in the World Food Championships, to be held at the fairgrounds in November.

The Godfather Egg Roll, which is an egg roll stuffed with spaghetti and meat sauce from J & J: A Taste of Home Catering & Food Truck, is among those vying for the crown. Urick Concessions is selling peanut butter and jelly chicken wings, while Red Frazier Food Truck will offer Tang-A-Rang Smoked Chicken Wings served with Kool-Aid-infused pickles.

A new vegan-friendly option is Black Leaf Vegan’s Happy Jack Sandwich, a pretzel bun containing shredded jackfruit with bourbon maple sauce. BBQ Totchos from Wagner Food Services feature tater tots, pulled pork, cheese sauce, jalapenos, sour cream and barbecue sauce.

Newfields is offering a deep-fried Chili Cheese Empanada, filled with house-made three-alarm chili and cheddar cheese and topped with pickled red onions, fresh scallions, corn chips and sour cream. Freud Family Foods will offer a fried ice cream cone, while Nitro Hog BBQ is offering a Fried Sugar Biscuit n’ BBQ with Apple Butter Sauce. R&W Concessions will sell a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Funnel Cake, and The Bakerman has concocted a Blueberry Cheesecake Stuffed Elephant Ear.

Several beverages are also making their debut, including R&W’s Dill Pickle Dr. Pepper, a Peach Shake-up with Hi & Mighty gin, and State Fair Pickle Beer from Sun King Brewery. Twisted Drinks and Food will serve the Shark Attack, a fruit punch lemon twister with Albanese gummy shark accents.

Baby animals: Every day until 9 p.m., visitors can interact with baby animals—including goat kids, calves and piglets—at Goat Mountain, on the northwest end of the fairgrounds, just east of the Department of Natural Resources building. What’s more, a new space called Mommatown at the Mac Reynolds Barn lets visitors meet chicks and piglets while learning about animal parenting.

FMX High Air Tour: Aug. 9-11, a Montana-based group known as 406FMX will perform high-octane, high-flying motocross acrobatics at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstands. Each 90-minute show is expected to feature plenty of tricks, flips and fun. Tickets cost $10; performance times vary.

History haven: Perfect for history buffs, an exhibit called Indiana Lore & Tall Tales highlights the spooky supernatural history of the state’s most renowned houses, commercial buildings, bridges, railways, parks and cemeteries. It will also showcase “seemingly impossible creatures” that have been spotted across the state and will allow visitors to explore some of the most unique paranormal stories. The exhibit is open daily until 8 p.m. at MHS Family Fun Park.

Plenty of art: Art and nature lovers can unite at the fair to take part in art demonstrations, performances and other activities at the Newfields Harvest Pavilion exhibit. The spectacle, known as Artscape! Where Imagination Grows, will be open until 9 p.m. daily. Also, 14 immersive lantern sculptures will be lit in an outdoor exhibit in The Backyard space for a display called Illuminate! Outdoors.

Duck races: Every day at MHS Family Fun Park, spectators can watch aquatic fowl quack, waddle and paddle their way to victory on a giant water track in the Great American Duck Race. The free show is at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily, as well as an additional 10:30 a.m. show on Saturdays and Sundays.

Taylor Swift tribute: Just in time to whet the appetite for November’s The Eras Tour shows in Indianapolis, Fearless: The Taylor Swift Tribute will take to the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage on Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Led by Rikki Lee Wilson, the Chicago-based group is considered one of the world’s top tribute bands for the chart-topping Swift.•