Your ultimate 2026 Indiana State Fair food guide
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Deep-fry a golden Oreo, top it with nacho cheese and crushed Hot Cheetos. What do you get? A winner. Photo: Arika Herron/Axios
If there's one thing we already know about the 2026 Indiana State Fair, it's that you definitely won't leave hungry.
Why it matters: This year's Taste of the Fair lineup is overflowing with bold flavors and imaginative concoctions that don't work on paper but certainly make sense on your plate.
Driving the news: We had the chance to taste-test the entire menu ahead of opening day to steer you toward the vendors delivering unforgettable bites.
- Here is some of what we tried.
🍋 Lemon Shake-Up Float from Lauren Conway Concessions
Fresh-squeezed lemonade topped with creamy vanilla ice cream.
Justin's thought bubble: I could drink these all day, which would be dangerous but delicious. A light, refreshing palate cleanser amid the meat sweat madness.
Arika's thought bubble: Agreed. It's the perfect balance of tart and sweet — feels like a proper fair treat without giving you major regrets later.
⚾ Double Play from Georgia's Kitchen
Italian sausage topped with shredded sirloin, cheese, peppers and onions.
Justin: Speaking of meat sweats, here they are! But this is also one of my top picks of 2026. The sausage was extremely juicy, and the sirloin on top was a nice touch that made it stand out.
🐔 Buffalo Chicken Dip Pizza from DG Concessions
Scratch pizza crust topped with homemade buffalo chicken dip, green onions, a drizzle of buffalo sauce and a tortilla chip crunch.
Justin: This delivers on its concept in a big way. Huge chunks of chicken are hidden under a creamy top layer of cheese, but the toppings don't overpower or oversaturate the crust.
🥟 Soul Train Egg Rolls from J&J A Taste of Home Catering
Crispy egg rolls filled with seasoned jerk chicken, Caribbean-spiced cabbage, rice and cheese.
Arika: It's great to see vendors offering more vegan options! Soul Train makes a version of its egg roll with jerk jackfruit and it's groovy. The spice is spot-on and the shell of the egg roll has the perfect crunch.
🍫 The S'mork from Nitro Hog BBQ
A classic s'more and slow-smoked pulled pork served on a fried sugar biscuit.
Justin: The list of ingredients raised lots of eyebrows, but the execution is flawless. As good as the pulled pork is, the sugar biscuit is the MVP, and it could be sold on its own.
🍌 Bananas Foster Cold Brew Float from Hook's Drugstore Museum
Vanilla cold brew with vanilla ice cream, topped with banana cold foam, cinnamon powder and caramel drizzle.
Justin: A must-try for coffee lovers, the banana-and-cinnamon blend is a winner.
🧈 Butter Dipped Ice Cream from Urick Concessions
Vanilla soft serve dipped in real melted butter that hardens into a rich golden shell, finished with flaky sea salt.
Justin: Another top pick for me that nails the salty/sweet combo.
Arika: This was the new food I was most excited to try. It sounds just weird enough to be in the spirit of things but also sounds like it could actually be good. It's great. Like Magic Shell, but the shell is butter. I mean, c'mon.
🌽 Charlie's Mexican Street Corn Pizza from Charlie's Fair Foods
Buttery street corn pizza topped with roasted peppers, sauce, tajín, Parmesan, and fresh lime.
Justin: Wow. That was the word that popped into my head on my first bite, and what I uttered aloud after my last. And lots of corn, so that makes it healthy! Right?
Arika: 10/10. Would order again, pay for and walk around in 90+ degree heat eating.
🍟 Tatanka "The General Tso Fries" from Red Frazier Bison
Ground bison, pickled carrot/slaw mix, fries tossed in General Tso's Sauce, sriracha mayo, green onions and sesame seeds.
Justin: Red Frazier Bison has been my go-to food vendor of the past two fairs, and they keep up the momentum in 2026. The spice is satisfying without sending you searching for a drink to douse the flames, and the bison is cooked to perfection.
🥒 Pickle Shake Up from Shake Up Cocktails
Carbonated pickle lemonade.
Justin: Pickle haters can definitely pass. But me? I'll take a six-pack, please. Two thumbs up.
Arika: I am that pickle hater. But even though I'll be sticking to Shake Up's original lemon, the pickle version was well-balanced and refreshingly bubbly.
🍕 Pickle Pesto Pizza from Swains Concessions
Pesto, mozzarella cheese, pickles and dill seasoning on scratch pizza dough.
Justin: Even as a pickle defender, this one was a swing and a miss. Mainly because the pickle juice, pesto and cheese led to a soggy crust and a slice that fell apart as soon as I picked it up. Tasty, but a pass.
🍞 The Big Dill from the American Dairy Association of Indiana
Havarti, cheddar, and tangy dill pickles grilled to golden perfection on sourdough.
Arika: I love a grilled cheese and this one would be great if you like pickles. The flavor they add is an awesome way to cut through the richness.
🍺 Corn Dog Beer from Sun King Brewery
Beer brewed with corn and smoked malt to create the flavor of a classic Indiana State Fair corn dog.
Justin: Not bad, but after the cotton candy beer Sun King debuted last year or the (amazing) pickle beer from 2024, this felt a little safe. Drinkable but not memorable.
Arika: Beer with a hint of "is that hot dog water I'm tasting?" Not as bad as the pickle beer crime of 2024, but not something I'll seek out, either.
🧀 Hot Cheeto Fried Oreo from The Cookie Jar
A golden Oreo dipped in Hot Cheeto batter, fried and then rolled in Hot Cheeto Dust.
Justin: Why is this so good? It doesn't sound good when you read it. And I don't even like Hot Cheetos. But I could eat a million of these.
🌭 Junkyard Spam Dog from Urick Concessions
Topped with mac & cheese, coleslaw, potato chips, BBQ sauce and sliced jalapeños.
Justin: Look, it's a hot dog made of Spam, and it tastes just like one. If that doesn't send you running in the other direction, you're in for a treat. The biggest surprise of the year, and a bite that makes my personal top 5.
🥬 Cornival Fiesta Bowl from Fairlivin Concessions
Lettuce, shredded broccoli, cabbage, carrots and green onions tossed with sweet corn, Parmesan cheese, crunchy tortilla strips and creamy elote sauce.
Arika: A salad! At the fair! And it's good! Probably one of my favorite dishes, truly.
🍔 Vegan HomeRun Sliders from Black Leaf Vegan
Plant-based patties with cheddar, red onion, pickles, fresh slaw, a smoky bacon crunch and mayo on a brioche bun.
Arika: I always love what Black Leaf Vegan is doing, and once again they prove that vegan food can be flavorful and delicious without animal products.
🥥 Dirty Slime Licker from Georgia's Kitchen
A dirty soda made with Starry and two flavor choices: blue razz or strawberry.
Arika: I'll be honest: I was a little terrified of this one. The name, the color, the candy bits on top — there's a lot happening here. But I was pleasantly surprised by the blue razz, which also has coconut syrup in it for a delicious tropical concoction.
🍦 Craft Beer Soft Serve from Urick Concessions
Black Dog Brewing Company's Rainbow Road Fruited Sour Beer is transformed into soft serve ice cream.
Arika: I can see people liking this. It's fruity, a little tart and has a good texture. The fermented beer note does come through, giving it a twist from the rest of the ice cream you'll find at the fair.
🍬 Deep Fried Lindor Dubai Chocolate Truffle from Orme Deep Fried Treats
Lindor Dubai Chocolate Truffles filled with pistachio cream, dipped in sweet funnel cake batter and fried.
Justin: Some things just shouldn't be deep-fried. The heat of the process completely melts the pistachio cream filling into a runny mess, and the batter doesn't add anything but a barrier between you and an otherwise rad truffle.