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‘Portable, easy and good’: Food on a stick remains a Colorado State Fair staple

By O'Dell Isaac August 28, 2023 | updated 2 years ago

SueSue’s Concessions, a popular food stand at the Colorado State Fair, will wrap just about anything in bacon, according to manager Candice Thibodeaux. It offers bacon-wrapped chicken, hot dogs, jalapeño peppers and other gastronomic delights.

But one of its biggest sellers is a large piece of bacon, a half-inch in thickness — on a stick.

Pork Chop.jpg

Pork chop on a stick is one of many skewered favorites available at the Colorado State Fair.

O'Dell Isaac, The Gazette

Pork Chop.jpg

Pork chop on a stick is one of many skewered favorites available at the Colorado State Fair.



O’Dell Isaac, The Gazette


“There’s just something about food on a stick,” said Thibodeaux, a native of Louisiana. “People love it.”

Jared Kennemer, whose concession stand offers chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a skewer, agrees.

“Food on a stick is hugely popular,” Kennemer said. “It’s portable, easy … and good!”

In addition to the carnival rides, this year’s State Fair is a veritable feast for the senses, offering rodeos, monster truck rallies, a demolition derby, musical acts, livestock shows and much more.

Colorado State Fair returns this weekend with concerts, rodeos and carnival

But the food stands are every bit as popular as the biggest fair attraction, according to several owners and managers. And while there’s plenty of business to go around, there’s an element of competition in the food-stand game.

“People want to see what new thing we can put on a stick,” Kennemer said. “And if we don’t have anything new and different, a lot of customers will move on.”

bacon.jpeg

Bacon on a stick.

O'Dell Isaac, The Gazette

bacon.jpeg

Bacon on a stick.



O’Dell Isaac, The Gazette


Adrian Dixon, who said he has attended fairs in 10 states, has seen squid, waffles and even spaghetti and meatballs on a stick.

“But this is my favorite,” said Dixon, holding up a piece of fried meat on a skewer. “Deep-fried alligator on a stick.”

For some people, a food immediately becomes tastier and more fun when it’s on a stick, Dixon said.

“It’s a part of the fair atmosphere,” he said. “You go to a show, play some games, ride a few rides and get some food on a stick. It all goes together.”

Depending on the entrée, food on a stick is more convenient than other concessions, Kennemer said.

The 2023 Colorado State Fair: What to know before you go, deals and discounts

“A regular hot dog on a bun, with chili, onions and mustard, is a mess,” he said. “And you can’t really eat it while you’re walking. But you can munch on a corn dog while you walk around the fairgrounds, and when you’re done you just toss the stick in the trash.”

Neatness and convenience aren’t a factor when eating, say, a skewered pork chop. But they are wildly popular just the same, said a concession worker who declined to give her name.

“People just like them this way,” she said. “Some customers have told me that they almost never eat pork chops at home, or at a restaurant. But as soon as they get to the fair, they come looking for us.”

Food on a stick also offers the rare opportunity to burn calories while ingesting them, Dixon said.

“We — my family and I — will probably walk 15 or 20 thousand steps while we’re here, so I’ll burn this off today,” Dixon said of his deep-fried alligator on a stick. “That’s my theory, anyway.”

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O'Dell Isaac

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