See Treats for Every Taste at the Central Washington State Fair

Your Ultimate Central WA State Fair Food Tour

There's one special time of year I look forward to every year: Media Day at the Central Washington State Fair. Dozens of media types in radio, digital print, newspapers, and news TV descend upon a private area on the fairgrounds where we get to enjoy samples of fair food and hear about the new exhibits, performances, sporting events, and rides so that we can share with the public.

(I've got a fair food photo gallery at the end of this article if you want to skip ahead!)

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Fair Flair: The Sweet, Savory, and Standout Eats

This year, there were several interesting foods to try, including my new favorite, Spam I Am, which has diced fried spam, small pineapple chunks, and a delicately sweet teriyaki sauce smothered over flavorful rice. As someone who generally hates Spam, this was actually one of my favorite fair foods of the day.

The other favorite I enjoyed was surprisingly the PB&J Chicken Tenders. It's a strange combination but it was a delight. Very sweet and savory. It felt like a party in my mouth!

I found the chicken to be cooked just right-not too dry and cooked to perfection. It came with a piece of an ice cream waffle cone to give you that "chicken & waffles" flair.

I had to sample some of the Sarsaparilla drink; I tried it last year and loved it, so I'm happy to see its return. Another beverage that's popular with fair crowds is the slushies that you can get at the Slush Zone.

Beverage inside a commemorative America 250 cup at the Central WA State Fair in Yakima — You can get a beverage inside a commemorative America 250 cup at the Central WA State Fair. Photo Credit: Reesha Cosby

The most talked about food items I noticed at the media event were the pulled pork mac and cheese pizza, the ice cream with chunks of chocolate candy, and the Walking Tacos.

My friend Nikki said she will definitely get some Walking Tacos when she comes back to the fair with her husband and kids because "you can hold and walk and eat it at the same time."

Unique Fair Food Finds and Pro Tips

The most unusual fair food I tried at this year's Media Day was the deconstructed jalapeno popper curly fries. I fell in love with the jalapeno cream cheese sauce. Amber, the vendor and chef, says that "it's awesome to eat when it's hot", so don't let your curly fries get cold!

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Leg at the Central WA State Fair in Yakima, WA — Photo Credit: Reesha Cosby

My insider's tip if you get one of the bacon-wrapped turkey legs: dip the bacon in the ranch sauce-mmm mmm mmm!

The Fair runs from Friday, September 25th through Sunday, October 4th. See a list of hours and ticket prices and find out where the free shuttle rides are this year.

When you visit the fair this year, you'll see a patriotic theme sprinkled throughout, new ag exhibits, a place where you can try your hand at glass-blowing, and new carnival rides. Food Network star Sandra Lee will be a guest judge at the apple pie baking contest on Saturday, too.

Check out my gallery of the fair food and see which one makes your mouth water the most!