The Iowa State Fair, a longstanding tradition in Des Moines, has returned, running from August 13 to August 23. This year's iteration continues the fair's reputation for inventive and sometimes daring culinary creations, alongside more familiar fare.
Among the new additions to the menu are caviar-topped chicken nuggets, priced at $99, which combine crispy nuggets with caviar and crème fraîche. Another notable item is the $14 Cajun Cluck 'N' Chaos, a Cajun-style chicken sloppy joe served on a brioche bun with coleslaw, pickles, a pickled egg skewer, and lime-infused pickle cotton candy.
In celebration of America's 250th birthday, the fair is offering several patriotic-themed items. The "1776 Parmesan Ice Cream" for $14 is inspired by an 18th-century dessert and features savory aged Parmesan ice cream with tart cherry and pound cake. The "1776 Dubai Strawberries," costing $19, are fresh strawberries dipped in milk chocolate, pistachio crème, and kataifi pastry, drawing inspiration from a recent viral food trend. Other patriotic desserts include the "Sweet Americana" dessert, a combination of strawberry shortcake, lemon bar, and blueberry crisp ice creams, and the "Patriotic Molten Lava Celebration," a chocolate lava cake with red, white, and blue sprinkles.
Adventurous eaters can also find items such as the "America's 'Berry' Good Grilled Cheese" for $16, featuring caramelized brioche, blueberry white cheddar, and candied pork belly. For breakfast, the "All-American Scrambled Egg Roll" ($15) stuffs bacon, sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and cheddar into an egg-roll wrapper, served with cheesy ranch sauce. The "Flamin' Hot Cheetos Breakfast Burrito" ($16) incorporates Flamin' Hot Cheetos into a tortilla filled with eggs, tater tots, cheese, and sausage gravy.
The fair also continues its tradition of deep-fried novelties. "Banana Cream Fries" transform funnel cake into crispy sticks topped with banana pudding and whipped cream for $8. Other fried options include a "Deep Fried Cookie Dough Pie" for $12 and a "Biscoff Cookie Butter Cheesecake Funnel Cake" for $15.
Savory options include "Porky Parm Gnocchi," a gluten-free potato gnocchi dish with sausage and Parmesan sauce, which was one of three finalists for the fair's People's Choice award for new food. The other finalists were the "Ultimate Minneapple Pie" and the "All-American Scrambled Egg Roll." The winner was to be announced on August 21.
Other unique offerings include "Garlic Dill Pickle Cheese Curds" ($9) and a "PB & J Corndog" ($10). For a sweet and savory combination, the "Iowa Sweet Corn & Popcorn Sundae" features sweet corn soft serve with popcorn and caramel.
The Iowa State Fair dates back to 1854, moving to its permanent Des Moines location in 1878. It now attracts over 1.1 million visitors during its 11-day run, making it Iowa's largest annual event and one of the biggest state fairs in the United States. While the fair offers a wide array of experimental foods, traditional options such as burgers, grilled meats, and other classic fair staples remain available.