BigTex Choice Awards winners named for 2024 State Fair

Bacon fried in cotton candy and a Dominican take on a hot dog will have extra bragging rights at this year's State Fair of Texas.

Driving the news: The fair hosted its annual Big Tex Choice Awards competition Thursday, with four judges from the Dallas food and beverage industry deciding the winners after a live tasting.

---

Why it matters: The competition started 20 years ago among fair vendors and has evolved from mostly fried foods to a tough battle to come up with the wildest flavor blends that are still delicious.

State of play: The 10 finalists were split into two categories — savory and sweet — and judged on taste and how easily they can be eaten at the fair.

• Many of the fair's food vendors are families, with kids joining the business as soon as they're old enough.
• Becoming a vendor at the fair is a competitive process. Winning the competition is even tougher. Many finalists competed in the Big Tex competition for several years before being selected this year.
• The winners will get special placement on the fair's maps and plaques to display on their booths. They will also need to plan for larger crowds that come with the extra publicity.

The Hot Chick-in-Pancake Poppers didn't win this year's competition, but we devoured them. Photo: Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi

The intrigue: The judges were most amused by the Texas Sugar Rush Pickles, which The Ticket's Donovan Lewis compared to an over talkative 6-year-old.

• The pickles, which are layered in sweet cereal and sour candy like a trifle, won the award for the most creative item.

What they're saying: Justin Martinez, whose Dominican Fritura Dog won in the savory category, dedicated his win to his late father, who worked at the fair since 1977 and died in the past year.

• "The competition is unbelievable. You've got to continue to get creative and get those creative juices flowing," Martinez said.

What's next: Opening Day is Sept. 27.