DuPage County Fair food vendors offer up variety

Every county fair has its food staples. There are booths for pretzels, hot dogs and elephant ears.

But there are always more unusual items you occasionally get a chance to try - like maybe a deep-fried Snickers bar.

At this year's DuPage County Fair, which runs through Sunday at the fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton, Tammy Tomkins will be bringing back her huge - and wildly popular - turkey legs.

"Everyone talks about the size," she said. "They talk about clubbing their husbands with them."

When they're not munching on gobblers, organizers often talk about offering more exotic items, like crocodile meat, but so far no vendors have stepped up to offer such fair fare.

There's no need to shed any crocodile tears, though, because organizers say just about everybody should be able to find something to tickle their taste buds while bopping around the fairgrounds.

Cesar Jaso and his Voca Burrito company, for example, is serving tacos, tortas and burritos along with horchata, or rice water. The sweet drink combines rice, milk, sugar and cinnamon.

"A lot of Mexican restaurants sell rice water," Jaso said, but it's not necessarily an item found at your average fair.

Hillbilly Homebrew might also catch your eye, if for nothing else than its politically incorrect name.

The Florida-based concession stand is selling different flavors of homemade soda out of barrels.

Papageorge's Inc. will be on hand, too, offering gyros and baklava, a rich pastry with honey and nuts.

Of course, the fair also features loads of everyday sweets and carbs, with Cloverdale Maidens selling popcorn and Erma's Sweet Rolls selling cinnamon rolls and giant cookies.

Varieties of pizza, nachos and fries also can be found around the fairgrounds, which boasts more than 30 concession stands this year.