Articles

2010 Fair and Festival Food Trends

February 2010

"Red Candied" by D. Carlton [url=http://www.sxc.hu/photo/428943]http://www.sxc.hu/photo/428943[/url]

When looking to change your fair food offerings, it can help to know what foods are becoming trendier.  While healthy foods are still among the more popular offerings for some people, the truth is that many fairgoers are looking for those unique items that can only be gotten once a year.  While fried dough, candy apples, and corn dogs are not disappearing any time soon, here is a look at some of the foods that are certain to be popular in 2010.

Foreign Foods- From tacos stuffed with everything from hamburger to oysters to Greek staples such as spanakopita and baklava, foreign foods are going portable.  Expect to see a wide array of foreign dishes at the biggest and best fairs this year, and be prepared for everything from the traditional to the outrageous.

Food on a Stick- While corn dogs, cotton candy, and kebabs are long time staples at carnivals and fairs, expect to see even more food on a stick this year.  The simple fact is that people are becoming more and more rushed and more accustomed to instant gratification.  This trend will move well beyond the desire for instants checkouts, and you can expect to see a change in traditional fair foods as well.  In recent years, it has become commonplace for fairs to offer everything from pickles to fried eggs served on a stick.

Local Food- While there are always a couple of big local restaurants at the average fair, expect to see more mom and pop style businesses this year.  From local nonprofits to couples trying to supplement their income by making their own traditional and eclectic snacks and dishes, 2010 is certain to bring a larger number of local and individual food vendors than ever before.

These are only a few of the dishes that are expected to be bigger than ever this fair season.  If you are looking for more information on preparing these foods for your booth, websites such as the Food Network page offer recipes and tips to help you create these one of a kind dishes.  Whether you are looking to offer your eclectic and delicious foods at one of the many festivals this year or are just reading to learn what you can expect to find at all of the best festivals of 2010, these trends are certain to be cropping up everywhere.  With that in mind, get ready to take a walk on the wild side, as there are definitely going to be some new and unique additions to the world of carnival food this year.

Comments

Thinking of starting a food booth this year. Need ifo & ideas

By David Parrish on February 26, 2010

Yes, I would like info and ideas to starting a food booth.

By Gaynell Atzman on August 7, 2010

We are considering changes in menus.  We are 114 years old and sell hotdogs, hamburgers, fries, sodas and icecream, wraps and sausage.  We are thinking of redesigning our 60 feet of food booths but since we support a charity and are run by volunteers, we need to look at durability as well as flexibility. Any pointers?

By Bobbi Cowley on June 14, 2011

My husband and I want to start a weekend food booth at various small events (not fairs).  We would be starting at about 7am to maybe 3-5pm both inside and outside during the summers.  So we are looking at something for the morning “breakfast” type crowd and then in the afternoon when it’s warm.  Any ideas? we were originally thinking of mini donuts and Italian ice but getting the setups for those is very expensive.

By Alona Robison on April 5, 2015

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