Tastiest dishes to try at the State Fair of Texas

It’s almost the “fairy” best time of year. The State Fair of Texas is just four days away, which means we’ll be celebrating all things Texas for almost a month — from Fri., Sept. 30-Sat., Oct., 23. 🎡

Each year, we look forward to the tasty + unique foods created by State Fair concessionaires competing for a chance to become a finalist in the annual Big Tex Choice Awards foodie competition. The finalists and winners have now been announced — and we want to try them all.

Here are four can’t miss dishes from this year’s winners and finalists:

1. Fried Charcuterie Board 🍯 (Winner: “Best Taste - Savory”)

Sweet dreams are made of cheese. A new take on everyone’s favorite appetizer, this dish features fresh mozzarella, salami, and green apples wrapped in a wonton wrapper, fried, then topped with goat cheese + a drizzle of hot honey. Pro tip: Try pairing with Karbach Brewing Company’s Light Circus Hazy IPA.

2. Chicharron Explosion Nachos 🧀 (Finalist: “Savory”)

These are “nacho” typical nacho dish. Instead of chips, cajun-seasoned pork rinds are used as the base. The dish is completed with smoked beef fajita meat and covered with queso. Pro tip: Try pairing with Karbach Brewing Company’s Hopadillo IPA.

3. The Ultimate Brookie Monster 🍪 (Finalist: “Sweet”)

Now for something sweet. This dessert dish starts with a base of chocolate chip cookies, layered with Oreos + marshmallows, then covered in brownie batter, and baked. It’s then deep fried, showered in powdered sugar, and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For a finishing touch, it is topped with cheesecake crumbles and strawberry sauce. Pro tip: Try pairing with Karbach Brewing Company’s Rodeo Clown Double IPA.

4. Cha-Cha Chata 🍨 (Winner: “Most Creative”)

A dessert dish you can enjoy while on-the-go. This cha-cha dance inspired milkshake is a blend of milk, vanilla ice cream, and a top-secret horchata recipe. The creamy concoction is then poured into a cup rimmed with caramel + cinnamon, topped with whipped cream, and dusted with candy, cinnamon, and more.*

9 MORE AWARD-WORTHY DISHES

This content is sponsored by Karbach Brewing Company, the official beer of the Big Tex Choice Awards, and written by Michaela Leung.*

FTWtoday thanks our sponsors. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content.

Which dish are you most excited to try?

Fried Charcuterie Board
Chicharron Explosion Nachos
The Ultimate Brookie Monster
Cha-Cha Chata
Other

LET US KNOW

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Today

FW Writes | Mon., Sept. 26 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Fort Worth Public Library - Southwest, 4001 Library Ln. | Free | Improve your writing by joining other local creatives for sprints, accountability, and critique sessions.

Tuesday

Trivia Night | Tues., Sept. 27 | 8-10 p.m. | University Pub, 3019 S. University Dr. | Free | Modeled after pub quizzes in Ireland and the UK, Geeks Who Drink is an authentic homegrown trivia quiz.

Wednesday

Straight Line Crazy | Wed., Sept. 28 | 2 p.m. | The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth | $20 | Watch a live broadcast of David Hare’s play from the Bridge Theatre in London. Ralph Fiennes plays the most powerful man in New York.

Thursday

State of the City | Thurs., Sept. 29 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Dickies Arena | $120+ | Mayor Mattie Parker will be the keynote speaker at Fort Worth Chamber’s inaugural address.

Friday

Texas Pinners Conference and Expo | Fri., Sept. 30 | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Will Rogers Memorial Center | $10+ | Get crafty at this Pinterest-inspired conference and expo featuring 200 creative contributors.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

87º | Sunny | 0% chance of rain

Opening

The Northside Community Center (1100 NW 18th St.) is reopening on Sat., Oct. 1 after a $5.1 million rebuild. The new facility has expanded programming and improved access with a new boxing gym, fitness areas, office spaces + social support services from Community Action Partners and VITA staff. 🥊

Biz

M2G Ventures has sold the Foundry District to North Carolina-based investment firm Asana Partners. The six-acre mixed-use development boasts Innovation Alley and 98,000 sqft of adaptive reuse warehouses. Asana currently owns 43 buildings in Dallas’s Deep Ellum + other properties around the metroplex.

Coming Soon

Who’s hungry? A new Korean double-fried chicken restaurant is on the horizon for Panther City. Bonchon Chicken is set to open at 9652 Ten Gallon Dr. (off Chisholm Trail Parkway) any day now. Get ready to pick your piece, sauce, and side. 🐓 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Tech

Clevon, an autonomous delivery vehicle innovator based in Estonia, has expanded to North America with a new US headquarters opening in Alliance. The Center of Excellence is located in the Mobility Innovation Zone + hopes to grow the local economy with new jobs and technological innovation. 🚘

Read

Need something to do this week? Check things off your Cowtown bucket list using local author Celestina Blok’s new book. 100 Things to Do in Fort Worth Before You Die was released yesterday. Learn more about the author. 📕 (CultureMap Fort Worth)

Environment

Lights out, Fort Worth — Help protect Texas’ migrating birds by turning off your lights from now until Wed., Nov. 30 between 11 p.m.-6 a.m. Join the city in limiting light pollution and saving energy during peak migration season. 🐦

Jobs

Do you speak Vietnamese? Eighteen local businesses and organizations are looking for bilingual employees. Employers are seeking staff to serve the 35,000+ Vietnamese-American residents in Tarrant County. See who’s hiring. 🗣 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Health

Texas Health Fort Worth has been recognized for spinal care by The Joint Commission. Texas Health is the second hospital in Texas to receive the Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery. The award follows the healthcare facility’s receipt of the Neurotrauma Certification. 🩺
Did you know? Our allergy triggers change and evolve over time as we age. Read: You might have new allergies you don’t even know about. Curious about yours? Take this quiz and find out.*

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A wheel-y good idea 💧

Fort Worth aims to clean up the Trinity River with Waterwheels Initiative

The watersheels face upstream to catch trash floating down the river. | Image courtesy of Keep Fort Worth Beautiful

Designs have been released for two large waterwheels that will grace the Trinity River.

Remind us what those are. Last December, the city, Tarrant Regional Water District, and Keep Fort Worth Beautiful started an initiative to use two solar-powered waterwheels to collect and remove floating trash from the third most polluted river in Texas.

Set to be installed at the river’s Clear and West Forks, waterwheels and conveyor belts will be mounted on floating platforms. Containment booms — essentially a buoy line — will funnel trash onto the conveyor belt and into a detachable dumpster.

Approximately the size of a small building, the waterwheel measures 52 ft long by 24 ft wide with a 14-ft diameter wheel. The structure is covered with a protective material that keeps trash from being blown away by the wind. Solar panels will cover one side + help power the wheel.

Keep Fort Worth Beautiful has moved on to the permitting phase of the project. Click the button below to learn more about the project + its funding.

WHAT IS A WATERWHEEL?

THE WRAP

	Today’s issue was written by Kate. Editor’s pick: This weekend, I participated in the Fort Worth Rowing Club‘s fall Steerhead Regatta. It was a beautiful day out on the Trinity River and great to see rowing clubs from across the state. 🛶 What is your favorite water activity in Fort Worth? Share it with us. Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Treat yourself to a tasty pre-flight snack at DFW Airport.
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Editorial: Rebecca McRobbie, Kate Mazade, Dayten Rose, Emily Shea, Ashlea Hearn, Josh Kranzberg | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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