Meat on a stick, a plethora of powdered sugar, any and all forms of potatoes, and everything deep-fried make annual appearances at the State Fair of Virginia. As the food and agricultural scene in the state continues to grow, so does the fair’s focus on culinary offerings and its efforts to highlight Virginia farmers and Virginia-grown products.
At this year's fair, hungry and thirsty folks can look forward to The Great American Spam Championship, an all-ages cooking competition featuring the potted meat, on Saturday, Oct. 6 — a new addition this year — as well as the Blue Ribbon Craft Beer Festival, presented in partnership with the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, featuring several Richmond-area breweries including Ardent Craft Ales, Basic City Brewing, Kindred Spirit Brewing, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Rock Bottom, Steam Bell, Strangeways and Hardywood.
I recently ventured to the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, excitedly rode the swings and ate my way through the 164th edition of the fair, expected to draw over 250,000 people this year. Here is a roundup of fair fare to feast upon while the event is in town through Sunday, Oct. 7.
The State Fair of Virginia moved to Meadow Event Park in 2009.
New to the food lineup this year are arepas from Victor and Clara Cortez, originally from Peru, who have been dishing out the yellow corn pancakes filled with gooey mozzarella for the past 30 years at fairs and festivals across the country.
Available at the crowd favorite Hogwild BBQ stand, "Butt Fries" are a heaping mound of slow-roasted and smoked pork atop French fries, smothered with melted cheese, dollops of sour cream and chives.
It's not uncommon to spot someone voraciously tearing away at a turkey leg while walking around the fairgrounds. For $12, folks can enjoy a giant drumstick slow-cooked for up to four hours over Royal Oak charcoal.
Candy apples can count as a daily serving of fruit, right? A classic fair offering, these Granny Smiths are dunked in white or milk chocolate and adorned with rainbow sprinkles, nuts, caramel and more.
These massive, pizza-esque mounds of fried, flattened dough, dubbed elephant ears, are another fair staple. Sprinkled with a double dose of cinnamon and powdered sugar, toppings include strawberries (above), apples, cherries, Bavarian cream or hot fudge.
Can you even say you've been to the fair without grabbing a funnel cake? This heavenly fried fritter is simple and classic, thought to date back to 1800s America.
Sunday, Oct. 7, presents the opportunity to sample a collection of Virginia’s Finest products — made by purveyors from across the state — including JJ King's Secret Sauce. The 55-year-old apple cider vinegar-based hot sauce is made locally and available in original and hot.
Sorva Syrups owner Courtney Obland, based out of Yorktown, sought out an all-natural simple syrup, but when she couldn't find one, she decided to make them herself. Flavors range from the top-selling lavender to ginger, cinnamon, hibiscus and mint. It can be added to cocktails or mixed with lemonade, tea, tonic or club soda. Sorva Syrups are currently available at Stella's Grocery in Scott's Addition.
Filibuster Distillery, located in Maurertown in the Shenandoah Valley and founded by the Dilawri brothers, has been producing bourbon for the past seven years, with the recent addition of gin. A top-seller is their dual-cask French oak barrel-aged bourbon.
The corn dog's humble beginnings were at a state fair about 80 years ago. The sweetened batter encompasses a hot dog and is fried to a golden brown, providing an ideal walk-around food.
This Canadian-inspired snack receives an American touch from the french fry's cousin: tater tots. The tots merge from the fryer piping hot before being "poutined," aka combined with cheese curds and doused in gravy.
Follow the smell of bacon to Bubba's food stand, where you can find bacon bourbon chicken (above), along with bacon s'mores on a stick, bacon mac and cheese, and a grilled cheese wrapped in bacon, to name a few.
The Pretzel Lady, hailing from St. Augustine, Florida, has been dishing out doughy goodness since 1995. What started as a way to make extra money has blossomed into a tradition of traveling to state fairs and other events across the country. The hand-formed pretzels can be served salted, plain or even as a pretzel dog — a Nathan's all-beef hot dog baked in the dough.
Corn is one of the state's major crops and sources of agricultural revenue. “We want to keep agriculture at the forefront, and our goal is to keep it prominent and make the public aware that it's really important, not only to them but to the economy,” says Greg Hicks, vice president of communications for the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. (Virginia Farm Bureau presents the fair.)
Opportunities to see agriculture in action at the fair include a visit to SouthLand Dairy Pavilion, where guests can see newborn calves and get up close and personal with Devon milking cows — a rare breed for this part of the country — as well as the horticulture pavilion, which showcases various Virginia-grown crops.
A major focus of the fair is highlighting agriculture. According to data provided by the State Fair of Virginia, one farmer grows enough food to feed 165 people, and it takes more than 51,333 farmers to feed the entire state.
