There are a lot of reasons we LOVE going to state fairs every year: Rides and carnival games . . . seeing farm animals up close . . . checking out a concert by someone who used to be famous . . . and witnessing tatted-up Gen Z’ers walking around with oversized stuffed animals.
But the #1 answer is: THE FOOD . . . most of which is fried or on a stick. And some states REALLY deliver.
Yelp analyzed their data from reviewers to identify the “Top 10 State Fairs for Festival Foods,” and perhaps not surprisingly, the Midwest DOMINATES. Here’s the Top 10:
1. Minnesota State Fair . . . Saint Paul, Minnesota
2. Wisconsin State Fair . . . West Allis, Wisconsin
3. Iowa State Fair . . . Des Moines, Iowa
4. New York State Fair . . . Syracuse, New York
5. Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center . . . Indianapolis, Indiana
6. State Fair of Texas . . . Dallas, Texas
7. The Big E . . . West Springfield, Massachusetts
8. Florida State Fairgrounds . . . Tampa, Florida
9. Alaska State Fair . . . Palmer, Alaska
10. North Carolina’s N.C. State Fair . . . Raleigh, North Carolina.
They did not release the results beyond the Top 10, so we don’t know which states have the WORST food . . . probably because there is no BAD fair food.