Fair food has always been adventurous, and at this year’s Los Angeles County Fair, attendees can expect an expedition of wacky flavors.
“The fair is a time of year and place where people know that they can come to indulge and find really unusual things that maybe they would never try, but they do, it’s actually delicious,” said Renee Hernandez, Director of Communications at Fairplex.
The LA County Fair is celebrating its 104th anniversary and will return to Pomona’s Fairplex, running Thursday, May 7, through Sunday, May 31. The annual event draws an estimated 750,000 people to experience carnival rides, livestock exhibits, live music, and more.
With all the fair activities and likely warm temperatures, guests are bound to work up an appetite, and this year’s event will include a $10 value menu at select food stalls for those looking to visit on a budget. Fairgoers can look for orange signs at each booth for discounted items, including favorites like turkey legs, hot dogs on a stick, and other smaller portions.
Although the zany fair food, such as the sweet potato smoothie or the massive watermelon slices wrapped in fruit roll-up and topped with chamoy and tajin, might draw the spotlight this year, Hernandez said that their food programming aims to provide a variety of dishes, including vegan, veggie, and gluten-free foods for those with dietary preferences or allergies.
Attendees looking to chow down on fair staples from burgers and mac and cheese to sweet treats like funnel cakes and fried Oreos will still find them at this year’s fair. However, Hernandez encourages visitors to venture out and try something out of the ordinary.
“I hope people come a little adventurous and try something that maybe they would never have tried before or something they’ve seen here before, and take the opportunity to enjoy it,” she said. “Just come out here, have fun, and make memories. There are so many things here that you could come here and have a different meal the whole month and never have the same thing twice.”
Here is a taste of five new, taste-bud-pushing foods coming to the LA County Fair this year.
Fried Mangonada
To be surprised by any food that’s fried at the fair is like being surprised that water is wet. Fair visitors know the nature and social contract they are signing up for when they attend the event, and it’s arguably what it’s all about. Chicken Charlie’s understands this, and that’s why its fried mangonada works on every level. The snack is made of fresh mango slices dipped in pancake batter, deep-fried, and topped with chamoy and Tajín and served with a slice of lime.
Mango and Tajín already pair well, but this twist has a mango-centered sweetness that’s elevated by the pancake batter and complements the spicy yet sweet topping, chamoy. It works so well that while eating, you may wonder what other desserts would pair with fried mangos.
Not Your Average Pizza
Pizza by the slice is not new to the LA County Fair, but this year’s toppings sure are. The fair is serving two New York-Style slices: the All Pork Pizza, topped with pepperoni, sausage, and crispy chicharron, drizzled with Sriracha sauce; and the Hot Cheeto Pickle Pizza, topped with cheeto dust and dill pickles, drizzled with ranch.
The All Pork Pizza is a pork lover’s delight, but the chicharron stands out for its crispy texture over the pepperoni and sausage. It also packs quite the kick with the Sriracha drizzle. While any pizza slice that boasts Hot Cheetos may seem too spicy, the Hot Cheeto Pickle Pizza is more tolerable. In fact, the pickles lead the flavor profile, making it a must-try for pickle connoisseurs.
Chicken Charlie’s Shwarma Cone
One of the fair’s freshest-tasting options, that’s easy on the oil yet still grilled to perfect tenderness, is Chicken Charlie’s shwarma cone. There’s a reason Chicken Charlie’s is a staple of fair food, as its chicken dishes don’t miss, and this year it’s throwing its chicken in with some Mediterranean flavors. While “America’s Deep Fry King” will offer shwarma wraps, the cone is the better option for walking and snacking.
The swarma cone features all the same toppings as the wrap, including grilled marinated chicken or beef with house-made garlic paste, pickles, pickled turnips, onion, parsley, and a sumac blend, finished with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and more garlic sauce. The kicker? It’s served over a crisp French fries base.
Captain Crunch Chicken Sandwich
The most distinctive dish at the LA County Fair is an evolution of the chicken-and-waffles sandwich. The Captain Crunch chicken sandwich combines sweet and savory by adding a raspberry sauce to the crispy chicken base and center of the sandwich, and tops the buns with Captain Crunch Peanut Butter and Berries cereal. It’s brunch vibes at the fair.
Spam Wonton Tacos
LA County Fair tacos have no borders, and these take your pantry spam to the next level. These tacos are filled with pan-fried diced spam in Japanese barbecue sauce, housed in a crispy wonton shell, topped with spicy mayo, coleslaw, and cilantro. The diced spam makes it easy to eat in a few bites, but be warned, the shells are so crisp that the whole thing can fall apart rather quickly. It doesn’t make it any less delicious, though.
LA County Fair
The fair opens May 7 and runs until May 31, Thursday through Sunday, and Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit lacountyfair.com.