Soon the 2024 edition of the State Fair of Texas will return in all its carny glory: Big Tex, the Midway, all of its usual traditions — but also with an unprecedented buffet of buzzy new foodstuffs that are helping to keep the annual event vital and up to date.

Food has become a hobby for many young people, and the State Fair staff's cognizance of that reality has helped transform the fair into a foodie destination.

In the old days, it was about getting your Fletcher's Corny Dog fix. Now Fletcher's is just your starting point, and the sport is to pack in as many novelties as your stomach can handle.

This year, there are 40-something new creations ranging from dumplings to cookie butter nachos to fried mochi matcha ice cream with an Asian twist.

The proliferation and modernization of the State Fair fare is a trend that started in 2005, with the first Big Tex Choice Awards, their annual concessionaire competition, which introduced the idea of innovation in festival-style foods.

The trend has accelerated in recent years with an explosion of over-the-top dishes ready for their Instagram moment, says Senior VP of Concessions Melanie Linnear, who oversees a team that gently nudges the vendors towards offering fresh new creations pitched to a younger generation craving new flavors and experiences.

"It's been like this for the last three to five years," Linnear says. "Just in the last year or two, I've brought in more than 20 new vendors. And when we bring in new vendors, we see our current vendors stepping up their game, too."

It's part of an ongoing effort by the State Fair that has become more pronounced since the fair returned after the pandemic. They've also grown more sophisticated in their marketing: from formalizing the Big Tex Choice Awards with a TV-friendly ceremony, to providing nicely-shot photos and descriptions that websites like CultureMap can cut-and-paste.

"We've ramped up — my assistant Callie Nolan is younger and pays attention to social media," Linnear says. "She'll be on TikTok, and we'll be texting each other, 'Look at this food item, what do you think?'"

"We've gone out and actively sought out new and different items — stepping outside the normal concessions bubble, the niche items that have become state fair trademarks like corny dogs, turkey legs, and fries," Linnear says. "There's always going to be a place for those - because when you come to the fair and get a Fletcher's corny dog, it tastes different at the fair."

Pre-pandemic, the concession lineup had 87 vendors. Each year that number has ticked up.

"We are now at 92-93 new vendors, some come and go but we've brought in an average of five new vendors each year," she says.

The fair receives more than 200 applications every year from hopefuls petitioning for a slot. Linnear says they try to keep them local or Texas-based, and most are from the DFW area.

"These operators are mom-and-pops, and that is standard throughout the fair industry," she says. "Their moms and dads did it before them — it's generational. It takes a certain breed to want to do this every year and keep the family legacy going."

Fletcher's corny dogs are an enduring tradition. The Real Slim Foodie

Charitable mentorship program

The State Fair also has a program called the Big Tex Master Class, where they offer mentorships to concession hopefuls.

"We find entrepreneurs from the southern sector of town, to get more minority vendors interested in being concessionaires at the fair," Linnear says. "Our master class consists of about 5 to 6 months of training, including business skills, working with attorneys, to get a business up and running."

Then, during the fair, they're paired with existing vendors.

"They have to do an internship, working at the fair — putting in a minimum of 12 hours behind the scenes in a booth, to make sure this is something they want to do," she says. "We've had that program in place since 2017 and we've had four people who've gone on to become operators, including Kerston Crawford-Thorns with Pearlie's Southern Kitchen, Tony Bednar of Tony's Tacos, and Heather Perkins, who won the Big Tex Choice Awards this year with her Texas Sugar Rush Pickles. They all went through the program and it has been very successful for them."

The State Fair's food program has influenced other institutions — like the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers, who now introduce new menu items with pizzazz every season — as well as serving as a model for other fairs across the U.S.

"The Big Tex Choice Awards changed the whole dynamic for the industry as a whole," Linnear says. "It took on a life of its own and we've been able to share what we've done with fairs throughout the industry."

The 2024 State Fair of Texas will kick off on Friday, September 27, and run through Sunday, October 20.