State Fair Of Texas Announces Big Tex Choice Awards Finalists For 2018

The State Fair of Texas opens on Sept. 28, a Friday. But you can call each day after that, for 23 days, Fryday.

Of the 10 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists just announced by the State Fair of Texas, seven are fried. As they should be: The Big Tex Choice Awards’ first winners, in 2005, were a fried PBJ and banana sandwich and fried ice cream. And although the contest over the years has featured both fried and not fried dishes — and even some drinks, remember 2015’s award-winning smoky bacon margarita? — State Fair of Texas’ heart has always been deep-fried.

Here is the State Fair of Texas’ 10 gut-busting finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards in 2018:

• Cotton candy taco
• Arroz con Leche
• Deep-fried shepherd’s pie
• Deep-fried skillet potato melt in a boat
• Fernie’s hoppin’ john cake with jackpot sauce
• Fernie’s Orange You Glad We Fried it!?
• State Fair Fun-L Cake ice cream
• Sweet Bakin’ Bacon
• Texas Fried Hill Country
• Texas Twang-kie

See all of the food here.