New additions to traditional favorite foods at the Logan County Fair

[August 04, 2012]  From one end of the Logan County Fair to the other, the adventures in fair food are one of the best treats of the summer event. Traditional stands such as the ever-popular Cullers french fries and numerous stands selling corn dogs always draw long lines.

This year a farmer from southern Illinois has brought his barbecue kitchen to Logan County for the first time. Todd Myers, along with his wife, Patti, from Shobonier, has brought Smoke Shack BBQ, serving all of the traditional barbecue meats cooked in a wood and natural gas smoker. Todd and Patti have two of the colorful trailers operating in Illinois during the summer fair season.

If you have a taste for foreign cuisine, a stop at the gyro trailer near the main entrance to the grandstand is a must.

After a main course of barbecue, corn dogs or any of the other tasty sandwiches and fried vegetables available, dessert is in order. One of the most unusual is homemade ice cream churned the old-fashioned way, with a John Deere one-cylinder engine doing the work.

A stroll along the main street of the fair will take you from the walleye wagon on the south end to the cheese-on-a-stick at the north end.

Then, with all of that great-tasting food, a cold drink is a necessity. And what could be more traditional than a lemon shake-up. Or maybe a more modern-day concoction of a healthy fruit smoothie would better suit your taste. Of course, during the evening hours, a frosty beer at the ever-popular K of C beer tent could hit the spot, if you are of age.

So, take in the exhibits, the art show, 4-H crafts, sideshows and activities, music, the carnival, and the grandstand events; but leave time to stroll among all of the food venues. It is all part of the traditional Logan County Fair experience.

[By CURT FOX]