A Fair Without Food? Unthinkable!

What would the State Fair be without food? That's unthinkable and fairgoers seem to agree.  While nutritionists may cringe at many of the foods served, fairgoers think it's worth the splurge to get the whole State Fair experience. They consume food at the fair in prodigious quantities. For example, in 1962, officials estimated that in the course of nine days at the fair, the public would consume approximately 95,000 pounds of meat. Of the total amount, 40,000 pounds would be ground into hamburger and the rest would be served in hot dogs, steaks, and other cuts. The Bakery estimated it would use 18,000 dozen burger buns; 3,200 dozen hot dog rolls, 3,500 large loaves of bread, and 600 dozen doughnuts would be consumed. The fair evolved over the years to match the tastes of those attending. Thus, in 1983 the State Fair opened 11 new restaurants in an area called “The International Food Fair.” Featured entrees included pizza, Irish baked potatoes, Swedish Pastry, and Mandarin Chinese. Still, by 2003, the most popular food at the fair was the common hamburger! ​