Melodies from Earth, Wind and Fire’s smooth and soulful song “Reasons” kicked off a Nov. 6 evening filled with flashing lights, dazzling colors, towering attractions, bustling crowds and the aroma of all the dipped, deep fried and powder sugared treats.
It’s official — the 83rd annual North Florida Fair is back.
Everyone had their reasons for coming out on opening night. For some it’s a long-standing family tradition they look forward to every year, especially the Rone family.
“I’ve been coming for as long as they’ve been open,” Veronica Rone said in an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat.
While she hasn’t been out for all 83 of the events, she says her family has attended more than she can count. For Rone it’s the ambiance that brings her back each year. You can see it brings her joy, she beams as she watches her grand babies on the merry-go-round waiting to move to their next game with water guns.
This year’s family outing was extra special, it was her 2-month-old grandson’s first fair.
You won’t catch her on any rides or munching on any snacks, maybe some of the kettle corn her daughter Ebony Rone orders or a bite of the giant turkey leg, that’s one of Ebony’s favorite parts about coming.
The fair food is another tradition that runs deep, mixing new creations with nostalgic classics and the Tallahassee Democrat has joined in on the fun. This is truly a playground for your tastebuds, where all of our sweet and savory cravings collide.
Last year, we indulged on returning items like the “Pickle Dr. Pepper,” a deep-fried cheesecake and a “Dilly Dog” a humongous and wonky take on a corn dog which takes a large dill pickle, and then hollows it out to fill with an all-beef hot dog.
According to a release shared with the Tallahassee Democrat, they teased new offerings for “thrill seekers with a taste for heat,” the Flaming Hot Cheetos Blooming Onion at the Korean Corn Dogs stand.
The onion is dipped in a seasoned batter, fried until golden then layered with melted cheddar cheese, and finished with a bold sprinkle of crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos.
If you visit the giant neon green booth, Taqueria Ilegal you’ll find the Papa Loca which also debuted this year. The baked potato is loaded with guest’s choice of protein then topped with butter, onions, nacho cheese, cilantro, sour cream.
This year’s event brought on a whole new wave of sweet and savory creations fit for every appetite and just like the North Florida Fair judges who judge booths based on general appearance, arrangement and quality, also effectiveness of the message. But, the Tallahassee Democrat had their own set of criteria and rounded up a couple of treats we think are worth the splurge.
Here’s what we found:
Fruity Pebble Shake
Towards the “Kiddie Midway” area, you can find a pink booth that offers the Fruity Pebble Shake. The rainbow-colored shake dazzles and adds a delicious crunch with cereal pieces mixed with the milky texture. It’s like a bowl of cereal on the go for $8.
Other shakes that were mentioned on the release include “The Peanut Butter & Jelly Shake” which comes crowned with a mini PB&J sandwich for a nostalgic touch as well as the Cookie Butter Shake which blends rich Biscoff cookies with drizzles of cookie butter and chocolate syrup.
Dubai Chocolate Strawberries
The Dubai chocolate strawberries are a viral food craze people have looked far and wide to get their hands on. Low and behold they are offered at the fair for $17 if you get all fixings.
The fresh red strawberries are drizzled in a thick coat of milk chocolate, pistachio cream and Katafi — a shredded filo dough often found in Middle Eastern pastries — in each layer. The shredded pieces on top offer a nice crisp to break up all the richness. Save a bite of strawberries at the end, there’s a pool of chocolate at the bottom for the perfect spoonful.
Cookie Butter Frozen Cheesecake
This dessert on a stick combines two sweet favorites, cookies and cheesecake. It doesn’t get any better than that. The frozen cheesecake is dipped and flipped in the Biscoff Cookie Butter and then Biscoff cookie crumbles for $15.
If you go
When: 5–10 p.m. weekdays, 12 p.m. – 11 p.m. Saturdays, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 16.
Where: 441 E Paul Russell Road
Prices: General admission for adults is $10, $7 for youth ages 6 to 12 years old. Children ages 5 and under are free
Parking: There are two free parking lots – Stadium Lot off Paul Russell Road and Tram Road Lot off Tram Road
This article uses previously reported information. Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at ksanford@tallahassee.com. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 3 sweet treats we tried at the North Florida Fair, including a Fruity Pebble shake
Reporting by Kyla A Sanford, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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