The Ohio State Fair returns July 29, and so does one of the best parts of the annual tradition: the food.
This year’s lineup features more than 30 brand-new menu items, from deep fried birria tacos and pork belly cones to Biscoff cheesecake on a stick and viral Dubai chocolate strawberries. Whether you’re a fan of classic fair food or you’re always on the hunt for the newest trend, there’s plenty worth saving room for.
Don’t Miss $3 Thursday
One of the best food deals at the fair is returning for a second year. On July 30 and August 6, every food vendor will offer one select menu item in a smaller portion for just $3.
It’s a great opportunity to sample more of the fair’s signature foods without spending a fortune. The complete list of participating $3 menu items will be released closer to the fair.
Every New Food at the 2026 Ohio State Fair
- Biscoff Cookie Butter Frozen Cheesecake (Polar Bear Concessions): New York cheesecake on a stick dipped in homemade cookie butter and rolled in crushed Biscoff cookies.
- Blueberry Pie Bingsu (Backdraft Brews & Bites): Korean-inspired shaved ice layered with blueberry pie filling, graham cracker crumbs, and sweet condensed coconut milk.
- Catfish on a Stick (Daisy’s Fish Shack): Fried catfish served on a skewer with southern sides and your choice of colorful Kool-Aid.
- Caribbean Jerk Cheesesteak (Marlow’s Cheesesteaks): Chopped chicken tossed in jerk sauce with cheese, onions, and hot peppers on an Amoroso roll.
- Churro Korean Corn Dog (Miller & Company Concessions): Mozzarella coated in corn dog batter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
- Cracker Jack Sundae (North American Food Service): Vanilla ice cream topped with caramel, peanuts, popcorn, and M&M’s.
- Deep Fried Birria Taco (Jim’s Deep Fried Tacos): A beer-battered birria taco served with rich consommé for dipping.
- Dill Pickle Cashews and Dill Pickle Pistachios (The Nut Shack): Fresh roasted nuts coated in tangy dill pickle seasoning.
- Dirty Lemonade (Prowant Specialty Company): Fresh lemonade swirled with vanilla sweet cream and optional fruit flavors.
- Dirty Sodas and Dirty Alanis (The Thirsty Soda): Customized sodas or Alani drinks with flavored syrups and sweet cream.
- Dubai Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Lordy’s Elephant Ears): Strawberries topped with pistachio cream, Belgian chocolate, and roasted kadaifi.
- Fluffer Nutter Funnel Cake (Prowant Specialty): Funnel cake loaded with marshmallow topping and Reese’s peanut butter sauce.
- Freedom Fries (Fork’et Me Not): Cheese fries topped with fried chicken or shrimp, barbecue ranch, bacon, and crispy onions.
- Fresh Dipped Ice Cream Bar (Maggie’s Concessions): Build your own Velvet Ice Cream bar with chocolate dips and candy toppings.
- Hot Blue Taki Fries (Prowant Specialty): Fresh-cut fries smothered in cheddar cheese sauce and Blue Heat Takis seasoning.
- Inside Out Buckeye (The Cookie Jar): A fried Oreo wrapped in peanut butter batter and topped with chocolate and peanut butter icing.
- Lemonade Floats (Rutana Concessions): Fresh lemonade topped with vanilla ice cream.
- Matcha Lemonade (GH Concessions): Fresh lemonade blended with matcha and finished with sweet cream.
- Nitro Frozen Lemonade (Miller & Company Concessions): Nitrogen-infused frozen lemonade with a smooth, creamy texture.
- Nutella Pocket (Lads Management): A deep fried crustless pocket stuffed with Nutella, peanut butter, and chocolate sauce.
- Pick Me Hot Chicken Pizza (GH Concessions): Pizza topped with chicken, pickles, sriracha, mozzarella, and a drizzle of honey.
- Pork Belly in a Cone (Mr. Pork Belly): Crispy pork belly served in a cone with your choice of four sauces.
- Root Beer Cream Puff (Schmidt’s Sausage Haus): A fair-exclusive cream puff inspired by Schmidt’s new root beer.
- Spam Musubi (Kama’aina Grill): Grilled Spam over seasoned rice wrapped with nori.
- Star-Berry Cobbler Funnel Cake (GH Concessions): Funnel cake topped with strawberries, blueberries, cream cheese icing, and honey granola.
- Tanghulu (Fresh Fruit Candy): Fresh fruit coated in a crunchy caramelized sugar shell.
- Mystery Flavor Deviled Eggs (Ohio Poultry Association): A new deviled egg creation with the flavor still under wraps.
- Tex-Mex Float (Ohio Dots): Dr Pepper Dippin’ Dots paired with creamy horchata.
- Star Spangled Swirl (Velvet Ice Cream): A fair-exclusive ice cream flavor featuring cherry, lime, and blue raspberry, available in the Dairy Building and Taste of Ohio Cafe.
Looking for Dietary-Friendly Options?
The Ohio State Fair also offers food options for a variety of dietary needs throughout the grounds. Guests with food allergies or dietary restrictions should ask vendors about ingredients and potential cross-contamination.
The Ohio State Fair app includes a complete map of food vendors, making it easier to track down everything on your must-try list.
The 2026 Ohio State Fair runs July 29 through August 9 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus. For tickets, hours, entertainment schedules, and the latest updates, visit the official Ohio State Fair website before you go.
For more info, head over to ohiostatefair.com.
