The Wild and Wacky Foods at the 2026 Ohio State Fair: A Kid-Friendly Guide

Mark Your Calendar! The 2026 Ohio State Fair runs through August 9 at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds in Columbus. There’s still time to try these crazy treats!

Welcome to the Fair, Food Explorers!

Hey there! Imagine a place where lemonade gets a makeover, corn dogs wear churro coats, and deviled eggs taste like Cincinnati chili. That’s the 2026 Ohio State Fair!

Don’t worry—if you’re a traditionalist who just wants a regular corn dog and powdered-sugar funnel cake, they still have those too. But this is Ohio, and Ohio loves to get creative. Let’s take a tasty tour of the wildest new foods you’ll find this year.

Ohio Classics Gone Wild

Inside Out Buckeye (from The Cookie Jar)

Our top pick! Think of a Buckeye candy (peanut butter + chocolate) but inside out and fried.

• Start with a chocolate-cream Oreo
• Dunk it in peanut-butter batter
• Fry it golden
• Top with chocolate icing, peanut-butter frosting, and crumbles
  Pure Ohio in one bite!

Cincinnati Chili Deviled Eggs (from Ohio Poultry Association)

Deviled eggs just got a hometown hero makeover. The filling mixes in Cincinnati chili spices—yes, that chili you eat on spaghetti! There’s also a Columbus pizza flavor (think: provolone, romano, and herbs).

Fun Fact: The Poultry Association does "weird deviled eggs" every year. This might be their best idea yet!

Lemon Shake-Ups: The Remix Album

Fair lemonade is famous. This year, it went to flavor college and came back with four wild new degrees:

What’s nitrogen? It’s a gas that makes drinks creamy without cream. Think: Guinness beer texture, but in lemonade!

Fair Favorites with a Twist

Churro Korean Corn Dog (Miller & Co. Concessions)

A mozzarella cheese stick gets dipped in batter, fried, then rolled in cinnamon sugar. It’s a churro AND a corn dog. Best friends forever.

Hot Blue Takis Fries (Prowant Specialty)

Fresh-cut fries → smothered in cheddar cheese sauce → dusted with crushed Blue Heat Takis.

Warning: They turn a wild blue color. (Looks a little like Michigan colors… shhh!)

Fancy Funnel Cakes — Powdered sugar? That’s so last year.

• Fluffernutter Funnel Cake (Prowant Specialty): Marshmallow + peanut butter sauce
• Star-Berry Cobbler Funnel Cake (GH Concessions): Strawberries, blueberries, cream-cheese icing, honey granola

Cracker Jack Sundae (North American Food Service)

Vanilla ice cream + caramel + peanuts + popcorn + M&M’s.

Fair publicists say: "Tastes like a ballpark memory."

State Fair Food Goes Global

Deep Fried Birria Taco (Jim’s Deep Fried Tacos)

A birria taco (shredded beef + Mexican cheese in a tortilla) gets dipped in beer batter and deep-fried. Served with consommé for dipping.

It’s a taco… inside a fritter… with soup for dunking. Only at the fair!

Blueberry Pie Bingsu (Backdraft Brews & Bites)

Bingsu = Korean shaved ice dessert. This one uses blueberry pie filling, graham cracker crumbs, and sweetened condensed coconut milk. Midwest meets Seoul!

Tanghulu (Fresh Fruit Candy)

Chinese candied fruit on a stick. Strawberries, grapes, banana slices — coated in a hard, crackly sugar shell. Super sweet, super crunchy, super Instagrammable.

Some New Old Favorites

Pork Belly in a Cone (Mr. Pork Belly)

Exactly what it sounds like: fried pork belly served in a waffle cone with four dipping sauces. Portable pork perfection.

Dill Pickle Cashews & Pistachios (The Nut Shack)

Two years after pickle lemonade shook the fair, The Nut Shack brings freshly roasted nuts tossed in secret dill-pickle seasoning. Tangy, crunchy, addictive.

Nutella Pocket (Lad’s Management)

A deep-fried Uncrustable stuffed with Nutella, peanut butter, AND chocolate sauce. Warm, gooey, chocolatey heaven.

IMPORTANT: Don’t Panic, Traditionalists!

CALLOUT: THE CLASSICS ARE STILL HERE!

• Regular lemonade (no nitrogen)
• Plain fries (no Takis dust)
• Classic corn dogs (no cinnamon sugar)
• Powdered-sugar funnel cakes (no fluffernutter)

You can still eat "normal" fair food. But… why would you?

Summary: Your Fair Food Checklist

Pro Tip: Come hungry. Share with friends. Wear stretchy pants.

FAQ: Your Burning Fair Food Questions

1. When and where is the fair?

Through August 9, 2026 at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds in Columbus.

2. Are these foods available all day?

Most vendors open with the fair gates and stay until closing. Popular items may sell out — go early for the wildest stuff!

3. Do I need cash or do they take cards?

Most vendors now accept cards and mobile pay, but bring some cash just in case (and for tipping!).

4. Are there options for food allergies?

Yes! Many vendors label allergens. Ask before you order — especially for nuts, dairy, gluten. The Nut Shack’s pickle nuts obviously have nuts; the Nutella Pocket has nuts, dairy, gluten.

5. What’s the "Butter Cow" I keep hearing about?

It’s a life-size cow sculpture made entirely of butter — a fair tradition! This year’s theme is America 250 (celebrating 250 years of the USA). It’s in the Dairy Products Building. Free to see with fair admission.

Final Thought

The Ohio State Fair isn’t just about rides and animals — it’s a food laboratory where tradition meets "what if?" Whether you grab a nitro lemonade, a fried birria taco, or a classic corn dog, you’re part of the fun.

Now go eat something ridiculous. You’re in Ohio!

Follow Dispatch dining reporter Bob Vitale on Instagram @dispatchdining for more fair food adventures. Email: rvitale@dispatch.com