This year's State Fair of Texas food winners

Why it matters: Serving as a concessionaire at the state fair can be a launchpad for other ventures such as Costco collabs and permanent storefronts.

• Previous winners of the almost 20-year-old contest include deep fried butter, deep fried Coke and deed fried pho.

The latest: This year's contest had 76 entries that were narrowed down to 15 finalists for five "celebrity" judges to try.

• Crab and mozzarella arancini won best savory dish, the Chill & Thrill Delight won best sweet dish and the Cookie Chaos Milkshake won best beverage.
• The Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders were named the most creative entry.

The intrigue: The milkshake's creator, Brad Weiss, didn't make the ceremony because his wife was in labor. Event organizers gifted the family a fair-themed onesie for the baby.

• Chill & Thrill Delight creators Tony & Terry Bednar are alums of the Big Tex business masterclass, which coaches businesses on how to become successful fair vendors.

What they're saying: "I don't know how you'd think of something like this," Cookie Society co-founder and awards judge Marissa Allen said after trying the deviled egg slider, which has seasoned wagyu and cheddar cheese sandwiched between a deviled egg.

• Dallas-based food influencer Alex Snodgrass said the dish embodies what the fair is all about — trying unexpected flavor combinations.

The fine print: The fair gets at least 25% of each food and beverage vendor's gross sales, investing the money back into local initiatives because of its nonprofit status.

What's next: The fair is Sept. 26-Oct. 19.