Like to bake pie? There are a lot of chances to compete at this year’s Arkansas State Fair!
If your specialty is apple pie, you can see how it stacks up against others in the annual Arkansas State Fair Pie Contest on Oct.14 at 11 a.m.
Is sweet potato pie more your thing? Enter the Matthew’s Ridgeview Farm Sweet Potato Pie Contest the same day at 1:30 p.m.
There are a host of possibilities if you choose to enter the Hiland Dairy Cooking Contest this year, where the theme is Sweets, and where you can make sweet dish you like, as long as it includes two Hiland Dairy items. There’s an Adult Open Bake competition onOct. 12 and a Youth Open Bake on Oct. 19.
The Arkansas Pie Festival Arkansas State Fair Pie Contest will be held on Oct. 16. Check-in is from 11 to 11:45 a.m. The contest is open to all Arkansas residents regardless of age, with the overall winner to receive a Golden Ticket guaranteeing a free entry into the Arkansas State Pie Festival in Cherokee Village and two tickets to the event on April 25, 2025.
The overall winner of the April contest will advance to the World Food Championships in 2025.
Each contestant must bring a whole pie measuring at least 8 inches in diameter, or a plate containing at least six fried or baked hand pies for entry, along with a recipe that includes all ingredients and steps for preparation.
Learn more about all the cooking contests you can enter at the Arkansas State Fair by visiting ArkansasStateFair.com/creative-arts.
Delight in coliseum concerts, competitions and concessions
Big rides, big shows and the big return for concerts at Barton Coliseum are all part of this year’s Arkansas State Fair. The largest festival in The Natural State, sponsored by the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, runs from Oct. 11 to 20 at the State Fairgrounds in Little Rock.
State Fair General Manager Tiffany Wilkerson says she’s most excited about concerts returning to Barton Coliseum, one of the largest indoor venues in the state.
“It’s been over 20 years since we have had concerts in Barton during the fair,” Wilkerson says. “Our fairgoers will get the full concert experience and get to enjoy the fair for one price.”
From Oct. 11 to 13, Bank OZK is sponsoring the State Fair Concert Series in the coliseum, with such artists as ’80s rockers Quiet Riot and Vixen, R&B acts Dru Hill and Ginuwine and up-and-coming country stars Ella Langley and Chase Rice.
Fun, fur and food
Dozens of free attractions will be located around the fairgrounds this year. The Hiland Dairy Foods Fun Zone has been relocated to right beside the Hall of Industry, with plenty of family-friendly acts. The All-American High Dive Show will showcase expert swimmers as they leap from incredible heights into a relatively small pool. Dynamic shows are in the works by the Tanzanite African
Acrobats, and you’ll be able to root for your favorite boar or sow as part of the Great American Pig Races. You’ll also be able to catch the winners of this year’s State Fair Youth Talent Competition on the attractions stage throughout the event.
There are plenty of other competitions going on, too. The traditional arts and crafts competition winners and participants will be on display for all to see at the Arts and Crafts Building, where you’ll also find several new cookoffs. “New this year is the Matthew’s Ridgeview Farm Swee Potato Competition, the Chili Cook-off and the Arkansas Pie Festival State Fair Pie Cook-Off,” Wilkerson notes.
There will be livestock competitions galore, even before the midway opens. You’ll find contests for best-in-breed chickens, goats, rabbits, cattle, swine and sheep throughout the fair, and even if you don’t raise the animals yourself, you can still view these champions in their stalls and hutches. A petting zoo on-site also gives kids the chance to meet creatures of all sorts up close and personal.
The midway will be as exciting as always, with dozens of amusement rides to experience. And everywhere you go at the fair, there are things to eat — far beyond corn dogs and funnel cakes.
“We have a new vendor, Sticks-N-Things, which has created a new variation of the chicken on a stick,” Wilkerson shares. “They’ll come in a variety of flavors, including Buffalo, teriyaki, garlic Parmesan, mango habanero and lemon pepper.”
Other neat new fair foods that should draw interest are the Big Poppa Tot — a layered tater tot dish with mac-and-cheese, pulled pork and bacon — offered by Jonesboro’s own H2Que BBQ, and a Bacon Cheeseburger Waffle you’ll find at L & M Concessions.
While tickets can be purchased — $12 for adults and $4 for kids ages 6 to12 and seniors ages 60 and up — you can get a real deal by taking advantage of Lunch at the Fair. Each weekday of the fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., admission and parking are both free.
For more information about this year’s Arkansas State Fair, visit ArkansasStateFair.com.