It’s crunch time—pun absolutely intended—for the finalists competing for the three most iconic food titles in all of Texas. Fall is here and that means that the State Fair of Texas is back and they are thrilled to unveil the finalists for the 20th Annual Big Tex® Choice Awards. On Thursday, August 22, three lucky winners will be crowned in the categories of Best Taste – Savory, Best Taste – Sweet, and Most Creative.

Without further ado, finally, here are the 10 finalists who’ll be battling it out of fried goodness for the coveted titles at the 2024 Big Tex Choice Awards of The State Fair of Texas:

Savory Finalists: Bring on the Flavor

Dominican Fritura Dog – Justin Martinez

• Why It’s Awesome: Think you know corn dogs? Think again! This bad boy is loaded with fritura cheese and Dominican salami, double deep-fried, and topped with garlic plantain chips, secret Dominican sauce, and cilantro. It’s like a flavor explosion you didn’t know you needed.
• Why You’ll Love It: Salty meets sweet in the most epic way possible. It’s a whole new twist on Fair food.

The Drowning Taquitos – Tony & Terry Bednar

• Why It’s Awesome: Imagine crispy taquitos stuffed with shredded chicken, then dunked in a tangy cream sauce and topped with all the fixings—jalapeños, guacamole salsa, Cotija cheese, you name it.
• Why You’ll Love It: They’re served in a cup, so you can walk, talk, and munch without missing a beat.

Hippie Chips – Rose & Tom Deschenes

• Why It’s Awesome: These wavy potato chip nachos are all about peace, love, and flavor. Choose from homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing, add bacon bits, green onions, and sriracha, and you’ve got yourself a groovy snack.
• Why You’ll Love It: They’re far-out, funky, and oh-so-crunchy. Plus, add blue cheese crumbles if you’re feeling extra adventurous.

Hot Chick-In-Pancake Poppers – Palmer & Amanda Fortune

• Why It’s Awesome: Nashville hot chicken and pimento cheese rolled into a ball, dipped in pancake batter, and fried to golden perfection. Then they top it off with Sriracha honey and Nashville hot powdered sugar. Sweet, spicy, and irresistible.
• Why You’ll Love It: They’re poppable, portable, and perfectly balanced between sweet and heat.

Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs – Nick & Vera Bert

• Why It’s Awesome: Picture this: brisket wrapped in shredded potatoes, bacon, and cheese, deep-fried, and drizzled with raspberry chipotle barbeque glaze. It’s like a barbecue lover’s dream come true.
• Why You’ll Love It: It’s BBQ in bite-sized form, with just the right touch of sweetness. What’s not to love?

Sweet Finalists: Sugar Rush, Here We Come!

Nevins Nutty Bar-laska – Tami Nevins Mayes & Josey Mayes

• Why It’s Awesome: Basically, this isn’t just any nutty bar. Toasted marshmallow, Oreos®, strawberry sauce, and freeze-dried strawberries come together on a stick. Because everything is better on a stick, right?
• Why You’ll Love It: It’s like a trip to dessert heaven on a stick—gooey, crunchy, and oh-so-delicious.

Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick – Isaac Rousso

• Why It’s Awesome: Thick, juicy bacon with a cotton candy glaze, spun in a cotton candy machine, and torched to caramelized perfection. It’s sweet, savory, and totally Instagrammable.
• Why You’ll Love It: Bacon + Cotton Candy = Mind. Blown.

Strawberry Pop-Tarts® Beignetffle – Justin Martinez

• Why It’s Awesome: Beignet + waffle + Pop-Tart® = Beignetffle. This masterpiece is topped with homemade strawberry filling, vanilla icing, whipped cream, and sprinkles. Because why not?
• Why You’ll Love It: It’s like your favorite childhood treat got a grown-up makeover—and it’s all on a stick!

Texas Sugar Rush Pickles – Heather Perkins

• Why It’s Awesome: Cotton-candy-flavored pickles rolled in cereal, cotton candy, and sugar crystals, then drizzled with strawberry syrup and served with vanilla ice cream. It’s as wild as it sounds.
• Why You’ll Love It: It’s sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy all at once. Plus, it’s a conversation starter.

Tropical Two-Step Punch – Binh Tran

• Why It’s Awesome: This punch is a fruity fiesta in a cup, with citrus, passionfruit, and mango marinated overnight for maximum flavor. Available with or without booze, it’s the perfect refresher for a hot day at the Fair.
• Why You’ll Love It: It’s like a tropical vacation in a cup, with just the right amount of kick.

Don’t Miss the Show!

These 10 food masterpieces will battle it out for the top titles on Thursday, August 22, at 2 p.m. CST. While the Big Tex Choice Awards event is closed to the public, you can still get in on the action by following along on social media @StateFairofTX.

And don’t forget—the 2024 State Fair of Texas opens on Friday, September 27, running through Sunday, October 20. So, grab your tickets at BigTex.com/Tickets and get ready to taste all the amazingness that the Fair has to offer. See y’all there at the Most Texan Place on Earth!