New foods at this year's Nebraska State Fair

Most people think of an alligator as something that might bite them, but at the Nebraska State Fair, you’ll have your chance to bite back.

How about a Hand-Breaded Prime Fillet Alligator-on-a-Stick? It’s just one of the offerings from new food vendor Mid-State Cookers.

“When folks come to the State Fair, they want to experience the unusual,” said Keaton Irwin, Director of Sales at the Nebraska State Fair. “Sure, we’ll have all your fair favorites, like corn dogs and funnel cakes, but you’ll also have the thrill of trying something exotic, something you wouldn’t cook up at home.”

After all, this year’s theme is “Whatever Your Flavor,” and the food vendors won’t disappoint, Irwin said.

Mid-State Cookers will also offer Fresh-Cut Gator Taters, with your choice of toppings; Beer Battered Deep-Fried Mushrooms, with a variety of sauces; and Deep-Fried Homemade Cherry, Peach or Apple Pie. You’ll want to top that off with some ice cream, of course.

That’s just a few of the vendor’s long list of food items.

Another new vendor, Quality Foods International, will serve up jambalaya, coconut shrimp, grouper and frog legs, as well as other foods.

Other new food vendors and some of their offerings:

• Shuckers Roasted Corn: fresh roasted sweet corn

• PepperJax Grill: Philly steak sandwiches

• JPZ Concessions: Hatch chili corn dogs

• Pupuseria Los 4 Hermanos: Quesabirrias tacos

Some familiar vendors will have new or interesting items for fairgoers. For instance, Prairie Island Poppers will serve pork rind nachos along with their salted caramel kettle corn.

Perennial fair favorite Pig in a Bag will be tempting the crowds with something called the Peachy Pig. That’s a maple bacon peaches and cream cupcake.

Mmm, mmm! That’s what you call fair food!

With the theme “Whatever Your Flavor,” the Nebraska State Fair is Aug. 25-Sept. 4 in Grand Island. For more information, go to StateFair.org.