What to Know
- The 102nd Los Angeles County Fair
- May 3 through 27, 2024; the Fairplex in Pomona
- Offbeat eats always make headlines for the long-running event; check out the Hot Honey Funnel Cake Chicken Sandwiches and a Pickle Split
Taking some of our favorite foods, the tried-and-true snacks we've enjoyed a hundred or a thousand times, and then creating a new, different, and quirky cuisine from those bite-worthy building blocks is something that county fairs are quite adept at.
And one of the joy-bringing giants in this flavorful field is the Los Angeles County Fair, long billed as "the largest county fair in the country."
That means that the 102-year-old Pomona spectacular attracts some of the biggest, boldest, and most creative cooks in the field of fantastical foodstuffs, the outlandish innovators who experiment all year long, dipping candy in bubbling batter and stuffing fun foods with other fun foods, even if it seems like those two fun foods might be unmatchable at first glance.
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With the annual extravaganza just ahead, you can bet that fans of the fair are already buzzing about the offbeat and gourmet goodies that will capture the fancies of foodies at the 2024 event.
So tie on your favorite bib, find your lucky napkin, and buy your ticket to the LA County Fair, where vittles like Chicken Charlie's Hot Honey Funnel Cake Chicken Sandwich are sure to garner the attention of adventuresome eaters.
Yes, the Hot Honey Funnel Cake Chicken Sandwich is a sizable piece of chicken placed between two mini funnel cakes, but there are other yummy offerings at the 2024 fair, like Korean corndogs at Korean Corn Dogs & Mochi Donuts — picture a corndog that boasts a coating of panko crumbs — and both Spam Fries and Spam on a Stick at the Boba King.
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The Pickle Split, which is not unlike a banana split but with a huge dill pickle, will be one of the most-talked-about concoctions at the Midway Gourmet. The ice cream is pineapple whip, while sour candy strings, chamoy, and tajín enhance the tart dessert's strong flavor profile.
The Cotton Candy Vending Machine will be back for those who like their spun sugar to arrive in cute, photo-ready shapes like flowers. Look for this tasty bit of technology in Expo Hall 9.
A chicken sandwich with berry cereal will offer a savory-sweet taste sensation, while an ice cream sandwich with cotton candy "buns" is an eye-bright confection.
Spam fries, Spam-on-a-stick, and other spam-tastic selections will give lovers of the iconic canned meat plenty to snack upon.
And birria will be a hearty superstar at the 2024 Fairplex festivity, with birria rolls, pozole, nachos, and more adding meaty, well-seasoned depth to various menus.
The full food list is expected to be unveiled on the Los Angeles County Fair site just ahead of the event's May 3 opening; keep your eyes peeled and your hankerings robust as some of the most stunning and superlative sweets and savories make their delicious debuts at the world-famous festival.
