By LINDA CHION KENNEY
If it’s okay to break the fast, it’s a pretty good time to do so when the Florida State Fair rolls around, where too sweet, too salty, too heavy and too rich are terms that hold no sway for foodies afoot to feast on decadent treats.
It has been so for decades, as evidenced by an historical note posted online by the Florida State Fair Authority. It traces the fair’s roots to an event launched in 1904 at the Tampa Bay Hotel, built by railroad and shipping magnate Henry B. Plant, and home now to the University of Tampa and the Henry B. Plant Museum. In 1915 that event was combined with Tampa’s then Gasparilla Carnival, drawing notice as “the biggest, best, most deep-fried event of the year.”
Florida State Fair photos
Eventually, it became the Florida State Fair, and in 1975 moved to its current location, the Florida State Fairgrounds, at 4800 U.S. Highway 301. This year’s 12-day fair kicks off Thursday, Feb. 6.
Much has changed gastronomically over the years, as evidenced by each year’s “new food and drink” listing, which this year features Cotton Candy Tea and Jolly Rancher Creamsicle, from Tiki Tea and Apple Fries, respectively, to wash it all down.
New this year is the offer to buy the 2025 “Fair Food Tour” t-shirt, available for purchase online and pickup at the merchandise booth in Expo Hall. With a “playful nod” to favorite fair eats, the vintage-inspired design relishes the opportunity to “relive the magic of the fair.”
That’s news to Nicole Humphries of Riverview, who for years has taken her kids to the Florida State Fair, where they have volunteered and exhibited as well.
“The shirt is a great idea because the food is such a big part of the fair,” Humphreys said. “It’s cool to wear something that reminds you of that silly time you threw caution to the wind to eat food you never even heard of just because it’s there.”
In reviewing this year’s dishes, Humphreys took a special liking to S’mores Chocolate Bacon from Bacon Stand, featuring “crispy bacon coated in rich chocolate, drizzled in marshmallow cream,” along with Flunky Flamingo’s Gourmet Chocolate Bacon Cheesecake on a Stick, featuring New York cheesecake, “chocolate-dipped and bacon-crunch coated, with caramel and white chocolate drizzle.”
As Humphreys put it, “You can’t go wrong with chocolate and bacon.”
No calorie counts were given for the 27 food and drink listings, and that’s just as well. Because when you order Baked Ziti on a Stick, featuring an “ooey gooey combo” of Rigatoni noodles, homemade marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, would one really expect to eat light?
The same could be said of Levy Restaurants’ Chili Cheese Corndog, topped with chili and “gooey” cheese, as well as Sunshine Concessions’ Hot Honey Chicken Grilled Cheese, described as a “sweet, smokey and gooey perfection,” topped with “crispy bacon and melty Swiss cheese.” As for the second corn dog offering, it’s the deep-fried Potato Mozzarella KDog from GoldenKdog, featuring a panko-coated, cheese-covered Korean corn dog wrapped with potato cubes.
Some food titles speak for themselves, such as the Fried Pickle Mac & Cheese from Chester’s Gators and Taters, served with ranch dressing, and the Chicken and Waffle Funnel Cake from Ryals Sweet Shop, served with maple syrup. Farther off the beaten track is The Best Around’s Southern Comfort Funnel Cake, featuring a “creamy, house-made sausage gravy.” Some food titles, like the Captain Max offering, WHAT THE DILL-IO?, keep you guessing. For pickle and grilled cheese aficionados, it features ranch dressing; diced dill pickle; Monterey Jack, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses; fresh dill; and the option to add bacon or Cajun spices.
In another take on macaroni and cheese, there’s Crack Mack from Holy Macaroni, featuring cavatappi noodles with street corn, peppers, tomatoes and jalapenos, topped with chicken, chorizo or carnitas, and seasoned with ranch dressing, Tajin, Parmesan cheese and fresh cilantro.
In the burger category, the three offerings include the Campfire Burger from DeAnna’s Donut Burger, featuring an Angus beef patty with baked beans, smoky gouda cheese and a hot dog split in two. In the Pierogi Slider from Macken’s Sliders, the “bun” is the potato and cheese pierogi, filled with an all-beef burger, grilled onion, sour cream and chives. As for the Dad Bod from Our Noire Kitchen, it’s a toasted brioche bun filled with a brisket burger patty with cheese, smoked pork belly, barbecue pulled pork and pork belly jam.
Making room for desserts, there’s the Salted Caramel Cinnamon Bun from Cinnamon Saloon; the Chocolate Dunked Bavarian Doughnut from Peachey’s Baking Co.; and three items featuring strawberries, the fruit celebrated each year in Plant City at the Florida Strawberry Festival, which this year runs Feb. 27 through March 9.
While the festival features strawberry shortcake, pie and cobblers, the state fair kicks in with Strawberries and Cream Cinnamon Roll, from Grandma Brown’s Cinnamon Rolls; Strawberry Shortcake Crunch, from Polar Bear Concessions; and the Strawberry Lemonade Donut, from Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts, featuring a hand-cut, yeast-raised donut frosted with lemon buttercream, rolled in strawberry lemonade crunch, served with a pipette filled with strawberry lemonade, and garnished with lemon gummy candy and a freeze-dried strawberry slice.
Photo Credit – Linda Chion Kenney’
Food signs are plentiful at the Florida State Fair, as evidenced by this cloudy day shot at the 2024 event. The 2025, 12-day fair kicks off Feb. 6, 2025.
Rounding out the fair’s 27 new menu items are Jalapeno Popper Fries (Lemonade and More), Mexican Street Corn Bread Baked Potato (Spudtastic Potato), BBQ Stuffed Waffle (Low-n-Slow Catering), Pretzel Rolled Corn on the Cob (Miller & Co. Concessions), Seafood Boil Stuffed Potato (DeAnna’s Potato) and Soul Food Egg Roll (Eggroll Love).
As for Humphreys, she said she likes that the fair and festival, as well as the Hillsborough County Fair in the fall, empower youth to learn about agriculture, to show farm and backyard animals, and to exercise their creative talents.
“We enjoy going to all the fairs and festivals because we meet different people and get different experiences,” Humphreys said. “We have fun and, of course, the food is great!”
For more, visit www.FloridaStateFair.com/.