While the recent news of this year’s Texas State Fair cancellation was not a huge surprise, it left us with a rather unexpected craving for all those gluttonous fair foods. We’ve never had such a hankering for funnel cakes, corn dogs, cotton candy and over-the-top outrageous deep-fried concoctions! We also thought that playing some old-fashioned carnival games might just be the boredom buster our kids could use right now. So we decided to create our own state fair-style set up in our own backyard!

Join us in making your own State Fair Food & Fun at Home with this roundup of local spots for tasty take-out, recipes to whip up your own fair fare, and some easy game ideas…

Local Spots for Fair Food To Go:

— Taco Sweets
Y’all, it’s an ice cream taco! Located in a the 5000 Burnet Road Food Truck Park, here you are given a fresh taco cone filled with Blue Bell ice cream and unlimited toppings. You can either freestyle it with a build-your-own taco with toppings that range from Cap’n Crunch cereal to honey roasted peanuts to Sour Patch kids. Or play it safe with a pre-set menu option like The Cookie Monster.

Taco Sweets. Photo via Instagram

— Round Rock Donuts
Everything is bigger in Texas, and Round Rock Donuts is no exception. Stop by this world-famous donut shop for their “Texas-sized” donut that can feed the whole fam. You can order this pastry glazed, chocolate, or half and half. Currently, you can order via drive-thru or walk up at the front patio.

— The Mighty Cone
We’d like to think that if there was a state fair this year, something like this definitely would have had a spot in the food court! The Mighty Cone is known for their “Hot ‘n’ Crunchy” chicken and serving up all menu items in, you guessed it…a cone! Try the Monster Cone that includes Hot ‘n’ Crunchy chicken, shrimp, and avocado together in a single flour tortilla cone, topped with mango-jalapeño slaw and ancho chili sauce. Stop by their Barton Springs location at The Picnic for pickup.

Photo from The Mighty Cone’s Website

— Gourdough’s Public House
Just about any whacky donut creation you can think of, Gourdough’s has it! Although they’re known for their donut burgers, you can try anything from chicken and honey brunch creations to a 2-foot gummy rattlesnake on a donut. This South Lamar hotspot is available for dine-in, takeout, or delivery; the South 1st food truck is open for takeout.

— Cornucopia
From chocolate covered cherry to mango habanero, this popcorn shop has a myriad of both sweet and salty flavors. Currently you can place an order for pickup from the North or Central Austin locations, opt for delivery, or have it shipped anywhere.

Photo from Cornucopia’s Facebook page

— Hands Off my Funnel Cake
The name says it all! Once you take a bite of these delicious funnel cakes, you won’t want to share. This Round Rock food truck offers the sugary treat in a variety of flavors such as banana split, cookies and cream, and more! Be sure to call ahead or check their Facebook page for pick up details.

—  Churro Co.
These aren’t your average churros! Churro Co. puts a spin on the classic treat by offering a variety of combinations with s’mores and apple pie inspired flavors. You can order online and stop by either their South 1st or Webbervile locations for curbside pickup.

Churro Co. Photo from their Facebook page

— Torchy’s Tacos
We all know and love Torchy’s for their delicious tacos, but let’s talk about their dessert. You can bring a taste of the state fair home with you when you order their “Lil’ Nookies”. This dessert is fried cookie dough topped with powdered sugar and cherries. You can order Torchy’s for take-out or delivery.

— Mission Dogs
Known for their bacon-wrapped hot dogs, Mission Dogs is the place to go for over the top, state fair-like bites. You can choose from their classic mission dogs or one of their Asian-inspired options which contains kimchi and creamy miso sauce. Be sure to place an order online for pick up.

Photo from the Mission Dogs website

— Black Sheep Lodge
When you’re in the mood for something fried, Black Sheep Lodge offers fried pickles, corndog bites, and lightly fried white cheddar cheese curds. You can place an order online for pickup or delivery.

— Slab BBQ
Want meat piled high? Place a to-go order for your pick of tasty BBQ. Choose from Texas-sized sandwhiches like The Donk, a 1 lb. Sammich stacked with every slab smoked meat available and topped with pickles, onions, jalapeños, slaw, queso, Fritos and all of the SLAB BBQ sauces.

— Fancy Fluff
This local Austin business offers handmade cotton candy that can be shipped directly to your home. However, their flavor options go beyond the usual bubble gum pink or blue. You can choose from flavors like toasted coconut, hatch-chile, apple-caramel, and more! Orders can be placed online for yourself or can be sent as a gift.

Photo from Fancy Fluff’s Facebook page

Fair Foods To Make at Home:

Want to whip up your favorites in your own kitchen? Here’s a good place to start searching for the perfect recipe for fried Twinkies, Frito pies, the perfect turkey legs, and more:

Carnival Games to Set Up at Home:

There’s so many easy ways to set up games at home. Blow up balloons, put on some DIY face paint and step right up for some silly backyard fun. Here’s just a few suggestions using items you’ll have around the house…

  1.  Bean Bag Toss — set up a row of large plastic buckets, bowls, or bins and assign each a point value (closest = less points, farthest = most points) and toss a bean bag to see how many points you can get.
  2. Knock ‘Em Down — Stack up empty, cleaned tin cans (or even plastic cups) and throw a tennis ball to see how many you can knock down.
  3. Water Coin Drop — Usually this game uses an empty aquarium, but a clear empty plastic storage bin works, too. Place a small cup (about the size of a shot glass) at the bottom of the bin with a few pennies in it to weigh it down. Then fill the bin with water. Kids can drop in a coin while looking from a side view to try to get it to land in the small cup to win.
  4. Ring Toss — Place several bottles (water bottles, Topo Chico or soda bottles, etc.) and have the kids toss a ring of any sort to see if they can get theirs on a bottle. Rings could be mason jar lids, frisbees, or even something cut out from cardboard.
  5. Water Gun Shooting Gallery — Set small toy balls such as plastic golf balls or even pompoms on the top of various water-filled plastic bottles. Have the kids use their water guns to aim and shoot off the ball/pompom.

Have more favorite fair-inspired food recommendations for game ideas? Please feel free to email us at [email protected].

We hope you have lots of fun at your DIY backyard carnival!