Pat's Kitchen in North Little Rock unveiled at last year's Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show a fried concoction consisting of spaghetti and meatballs on a stick.
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The oddity featuring fried dough topped with garlic butter and parmesan cheese was a hit, and Pat's Kitchen is bringing it back for this year's 76th annual State Fair.
But in the world of fair food, whatever's new is always popular. So this year, Pat's Kitchen is presenting a creation it calls bacon-wrapped Jo-Jo potatoes -- potato wedges wrapped in bacon, battered and deep fried.
If it's fried, wrapped in bacon or served on a stick -- and preferably all three -- it's ready for the fair, said Theresa Murtha with Pat's Kitchen.
[PHOTOS: Full gallery of Arkansas State Fair foods]
The bacon-draped potato wedges are one of about two dozen new foods and drinks at the State Fair, which runs Friday through Oct. 18 at the State Fairgrounds off Roosevelt Road in Little Rock.
Some of the new offerings include a 2-foot-long beef hot dog and the bacon bomber, a sugar-loaded achievement of a Hershey Kiss in brownie batter that is covered in chocolate chip cookie dough and peanut butter, rolled in bacon crumbs and fried.
"In the old days, fair food was corn dogs and simple things like hot dogs -- that type of thing," said Tom Lyons, director of food services for the State Fair.
"As it's evolved over the years and become more creative, the first thing we look for [are] things that are different," he said. "It needs to be of high-quality ingredients. It needs to be original or something unique about it, and in certain cases we pay attention to what happens at other fairs."
Lyons said that the fair relies on a network of people when studying and choosing fair foods, going so far as to look at what happens in Europe with carnival food.
Combining the new with the beloved has helped the fair remain popular through its 76 years, said Ralph Shoptaw, the State Fair's president and general manager.
"The State Fair is the largest event in the state," he said. "That's our theme this year: Arkansas' Biggest Celebration."
While new rides and foods attract first-time visitors, other patrons return for the expected, including the fair's always popular Livestock Show, arts and crafts, fair queen pageants, rodeo queen riding competition and more.
After celebrating its 75th anniversary last year with the fair's first parade since 1986, the State Fair parade returns again with a 1 p.m. Sunday start in downtown Little Rock.
The parade, which includes marching bands, floats, cars and animals, will proceed from Second Street and Broadway to the Capitol.
The Professional Bull Riders Tour also returns to Barton Coliseum with Ridin' in the Rock on Oct. 16 and 17.
"This fair is just so unique, and people come from all over the state and other states also," Shoptaw said.
A few changes are coming to the State Fair, though, Shoptaw said.
With construction on Roosevelt Road affecting traffic and parking, the fair is offering a free weekend shuttle service from state government parking lots west of the Capitol to the fairgrounds on weekends. The shuttles start at 6 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays during the fair.
Parking is free for those riding the shuttle, Shoptaw said.
"It's a convenient way for people to come to the fair who don't want to fight the traffic or the parking," he said.
The Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission also announced last month that ducks and geese will be missing from this year's State Fair after an outbreak of avian influenza caused destruction of about 7.5 million turkeys and 42.1 million chickens.
The fair will still hold chicken exhibitions this year, however.
Another change is that the Arkansas Cancer Coalition and Arkansas Livestock Show Association approved a policy in April that prohibits the use of tobacco and nicotine products, including electronic cigarettes, in all fair indoor facilities and within 20 feet of all indoor facilities.
"We're not trying take away any rights from smokers, but we do want to protect the patrons of the State Fair," said Trina Mitchell, executive director of the Arkansas Cancer Coalition.
Some changes also are coming to the State Fair's midway, featuring 55 rides, including new offerings such as Centrifuge, Cliff Hanger, Frog Hopper and Balloon Race.
Preparing rides for the State Fair takes a full year as planners figure out equipment and space concerns to accommodate rides, games and concessions, said Chris Walden, midway coordinator with Deggeller Attractions, which runs the fair's carnival.
"It's kind of one of those things where it's a puzzle where all the pieces don't fit, and you've just got to try and do the best you can. Once we actually get here physically, it's a full, hard week from ... getting the semi-trucks in to the ride [inspections]."
Planning for the fair's musical entertainment also takes a year, said Darrell Desgranges, entertainment director for the State Fair.
Nine headliner acts, playing a variety of music from classic rock to R&B, are crammed into the fair's 10 days.
The bands are Montgomery Gentry on Friday, Eddie Money on Saturday, Silk on Sunday, Styx on Tuesday, Toni! Tony! Toné! on Oct. 14, Pop Evil on Oct. 15, Grand Funk Railroad on Oct. 16, Joe Diffie on Oct. 17 and Naughty by Nature on Oct. 18.
The headliner concerts are free with paid gate admission.
"We've covered all the genres of music in this market," Desgranges said. "When you're doing concerts for free ... our goal is to bring the best entertainment to Little Rock for our customers."
State Fair gates open at 11 a.m. daily. Regular admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 12 and senior citizens 60 and over, and free for children 5 and under. Parking is $5.
State Desk on 10/07/2015