Step1
Start your culinary tour of the Indiana State Fair at the main admission gate facing 38th Street. Pick up a free program, which includes a map, and then head for the Dairy Bar – often mistakenly called the Dairy Barn. (Walk straight ahead to the “T” intersection and turn right.) The Dairy Bar, which is operated by Hoosier dairy farmers, is a long-standing tradition. It offers grilled-cheese sandwiches on your choice of bread, milkshakes and other dairy-inspired treats.
Step2
If you walk east, you’ll encounter food tents operated by the Indiana Pork Producers Association, the Indiana Beef Cattle Association and the Indiana State Poultry Association. Take your pick of the sandwiches and full-meal deals offered here. Our favorites are the pulled pork BBQ sandwich and the rib-eye sandwich.
Step3
Just east of the Dairy Bar, usually in front of the Old National Bank Grand Hall, you’ll find the year’s signature fair food. The featured food in 2007 was corn fritters (yum!), but deep-fried chocolate-covered strawberries and deep-fried sauerkraut have also put in an appearance. This is likely to be the food people are talking about, so be sure to try it.
Step4
Walk a bit further east and scan the right side of the street for a booth featuring deep-fried everything. This booth introduces something new each year, such as deep-fried Pepsi in 2007. Our favorites are the deep-fried Oreos and deep-fried peanut butter cups, but the booth also offers many other deep-friend candy and cookie items.
Step5
As you continue to walk east around the oval roadway that circles the fairgrounds, you’ll find all of the traditional fair foods: elephant ears, corn dogs, lemon shake-ups, ribbon potatoes, popcorn, you name it. If something sounds good, feel free to try it. We sometimes pick up a plate of ribbon potatoes at the booth on the right side of the street just before the road curves to the left.
Step6
If you skipped the steak sandwiches the first time, you’ll find a satellite location of the Indiana Beef Cattle Association tent on the east side of the fairgrounds.
Step7
The back side of the fairgrounds harbors lots of generic fair-food vendors. But you’re probably full by now anyway, so walk it off at the Pathway to Water Quality, the Little Hands on the Farm exhibit, the Pioneer Village, the FFA Pavilion and the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) Building. Don’t miss the free nibbles of maple syrup at Pioneer Village. This is also a great place to stock up on the wonderful apple butter and jellies produced by Dillman Farm in Bloomington.
Step8
At the end of the curve on the west side of the fairgrounds, you’ll find two important food spots. One is the tent operated by the Indianapolis Jaycees, our preferred spot for buttered corn on the cob. It’s one of the best treats the fair has to offer, and you can even try to convince yourself that, because it’s a vegetable, it must be healthy.
Step9
The other nearby food spot, across the street from the Jaycees tent, is the Ball State Ag/Hort Building. Ask for a free sample of Indiana honey at the honey booth, and then head to the concession stand for mouth-watering strawberry shortcake. As you enjoy your treat, you can view the year’s prize-winning fruits, vegetables, wines and flowers.
Step10
Your next stop should be the Pioneer Our Land Pavilion, where you’re likely to find free samples of tomato-based recipes from Red Gold. The Indiana Soybean Alliance has traditionally offered free samples of soy beans here, but it’s been disappointingly absent for the past few years (or has offered soy-based coffee instead – just what everyone wants in 95 degree weather).
Step11
No trip to the fair would be complete without a stop in the Expo Hall. As you return to the 38th Street entrance gate, it’s the final building on your right. Stop in for free samples of South Bend Chocolate Company chocolates, barbecue sauce, vegetable dips and other treats, all of which are – of course – available for purchase.
Enthusiast 
