The Tippecanoe County 4-H Fair opened with thrilling rides and plushies to win, and, of course, typical fair food.
The aroma of cotton candy and lemonade was thicker than the excited screams of children Monday. Carnival trucks were lined up next to each other selling candies, drinks and cheesy treats.
The Yum Yum Shoppe provides cotton candy, small for $5 to giant for $12 (cotton candy on a stick is $4). Hawaiian snow cones, hand-dipped caramel apples, buttery popcorn and non-alcoholic frozen strawberry daiquiris are all $5.
On Clair’s Classic Treats menu are deep-fried Oreos for $6 and deep-fried Twinkies for $4. Nachos and a soft pretzel with cheese are both $5.
On the Classic Handcrafted Dessert Menu, elephant ears and funnel cakes are $8. There’s a new option this year: the funnel cake supreme (also comes in elephant ear supreme), which is a funnel cake with all four toppings (strawberry, whipped cream, chocolate and bavarian cream), for $14.
Corn dogs are $6 and foot-long corn dogs are $9. A quarter-pound hot dog with all beef is $5. Sausages, such as Polish sausage, Italian sausage and bratwurst, are $8. Curly fries go from a small for $3 to a large for $10, with $1 toppings of chili, cheese, jalapenos and bacon.
The ice cream sundaes, which come flavored in chocolate or strawberry, are $5. Floats and flurries are $7. The ice cream nachos, an ice cream sundae atop waffle cone nachos, are $9.
“We always try to do something new (each year),” Jean Clair, the owner of the carnival, said about the ice cream nachos. But she also said customers tend to stick with classic fair foods such as corn dogs.
The most prevalent item in people’s hands is a cup of lemonade, with a plastic lemon on the cap. Lemon shake-ups cost $8, and refills are $3.
Bottled water is consistently $3 throughout the food stands.
“(The price) is about what you expect from fair food,” customer Christian Mejia said Monday.
Inside the Fairgrounds building, Mullen Food Stand sells elephant ears, orange shake-ups, and lemon shake-ups for $7.
At the Milkshake Parlor, a shake is $4 and comes in flavors of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or red raspberry.
The Tippecanoe Livestock Producers stand, a collaboration of many different meat providers, sells hot dogs for $3.50, foot-long hot dogs for $5, and a ribeye for $7.50
Long Lines
The line is long in front of the stand for Tippecanoe Livestock Producers.
Homestead Buttery
Jessalyn Strahm takes orders at the Homestead Buttery stand.
Elephant Ear
An elephant ear sold by Mullen Family Concessions. One plate costs $7.
Mullen Stand
Noah Hazlett (left) and Brent Mullen prepare lemon shake-ups. Mullen Family Concessions has been in business for over 50 years and has been at the Lafayette fair for 30 years. Brent Mullen is the third-generation owner of the stand.
Milkshake
Donald Blune talks with Scott Hanback after he buys a milkshake.
