5 bizarre but delicious foods at the 2024 N.C. State Fair
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Granny Cone from Magdelena's Chimney Cakes won the 2024 Best New State Fair Item award in the sweet category. Photo: Alexis Clinton/Axios
Bacon ice cream, orange creamsicle slushie, candied Oreo cakesters — only at the North Carolina State Fair can you have these all in one place.
Driving the news: The N.C. State Fair runs from Oct. 17-27. And this year there are 73 new foods to try from more than 30 different vendors.
My thought bubble: This year's list of new dishes is on another level with ridiculous combos like deep-fried baby back ribs, battered bologna fries, hot Cheetos funnel cake and deep-fried spaghetti.
Here are the 5 weird (but delicious) new foods to try:
Strawberry Lemonade Donut from Fluffy's Hand Cut Donuts
Stop by: Located near the Antique Farm Machinery and The Marketplace.
Dig in: This doughnut is topped with tangy lemon frosting, strawberry lemonade crumbles, freeze-dried strawberry slices and gummy candy.
- For added flavor, you can squeeze the strawberry lemonade pipette on the donut.
Battered Bologna Fries from Granny's Country Kitchen
Stop by: Located in the Pitzer Heritage Circle near Heritage Circle and Ember Fire Arts.
Dig in: This savory snack item can also be loaded with chili cheese sauce. The vendor's menu is filled with other country-fried favorites like country-fried steak and country ham if you want to pig out.
Granny Cone from Magdelena's Chimney Cakes
Stop by: Near Cotton Park Family Fun Zone, Fire Safety Show and Casey's Clubhouse.
Dig in: This Hungarian dessert is a chimney cake filled with a scoop of buttery cream cake, layered with maple bacon ice cream, topped with crunchies and whipped cream.
Deep-fried ribs from Lawrence & Perry BBQ
Stop by: Between Dorton Arena and Cotton Park Family Fun Zone.
Dig in: Baby back ribs can be hand-tossed in a variety of sauces including BBQ sauce, lemon pepper, Carolina gold and sweet chili jerk. Each flavor is inspired by an N.C. area code.
Honey Butter Mozza Dog from GoldenKdog
Stop by: Across from Kiddieland.
Dig in: If you're torn between ordering something savory or sweet, try this mozzarella cheese dog rolled in homemade batter with panko then deep fried and drizzled with honey butter sauce.
Go deeper: Everything you need to know about the North Carolina State Fair