Posted by Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle
, February 14, 2010 17:33
Tomorrow’s the final day of the 2010 Florida State Fair, America’s first state fair each year. For Monday’s finale they’re running an unlimited ride special for $30. Monday will also see Canadian fiddlers, dog shows, wood carving demonstrations, wrestling, arts and crafts, and the opportunity to interact with dairy farmers. Cracker Country, where visitors can participate in things like flax processing and open fire cooking, will be open until 6 p.m.
There’s plenty of new fair food this year. Deep fried butter (ugh!) seems to be a coming trend. There are also those notorious burgers sandwiched between Krispy Kreme donuts. Another strange edible is spaghetti ice cream, where they put the stuff through a pasta extruder and top it with pureed strawberries (marinara) and shaved white chocolate (Parmesan). Doesn’t sound half-bad, actually. There will be Pittsburgh-style cheesesteaks, where a regular Philly cheesesteak is given the Pittsburgh treatment: fries and slaw in the sandwich. On the classic side of things, there are boiled peanuts to be enjoyed, and jambalaya makes its way from nearby Louisiana.
The fair takes place in Tampa. Admission is $10 for adults/$5 for children.
