From Sept. 24 to Oct. 2, people across Pennsylvania partake in one of their favorite fall traditions: making the trip to the annual Bloomsburg Fair. At the Bloomsburg Fair, attendees can play games, shop around, enjoy rides, watch live shows and most importantly, eat some of the favorite fair foods.
There are hundreds of food vendors at the Bloomsburg Fair that offer a variety of different foods including french fries, pizza, dumplings, funnel cake, pulled pork sandwiches and so much more. Although there is plenty of food to choose from, I tend to stick to the same things each year. Especially since fair was cancelled last year, I knew I had to eat the foods I missed so dearly.
The first stop I made at my trip to the Bloomsburg Fair was to one of my all time favorite food stands: Yogi’s Potato Pancakes. Yogi’s offers a variety of different authentic Polish foods including potato pancakes, pierogies, haluski, and more.
Although I am a big fan of their noodles and cabbage, I stuck to pierogies this year. Growing up in a Polish family, I’ve had a fair share of pierogies, but Yogi’s classic potato pierogies with butter are one of my all time favorites. Whenever I attend a fair or festival, I always seek out their pierogies in particular because they are simply so good.
This year, Yogi’s featured a new item on their menu I knew I had to try: homemade crab bisque. I was excited to try their crab bisque as soup is one of my favorite foods. Their homemade crab bisque was definitely delicious; it was creamy, flavorful and contained a generous amount of crab.
After stopping at Yogi’s, I wandered around the fair and played some games before I stopped to eat once more. I decided to stop at Gross’s to pick up some fresh-cut fries. Although fries make a frequent appearance in my diet, nothing is quite as delectable of fresh ones, especially when topped with salt, pepper, and some vinegar. It is a simple food, but it is also a classic one that is essential to the fair experience.
As I disclosed earlier, I am a rather big fan of pierogies. When I saw Joe’s Homemade Pierogies and Mini Donuts, I knew had to go for a second round of pierogies. Like Yogi’s, Joe’s Homemade Pierogies and Mini Donuts is a family-owned business that serves popular NEPA foods like pierogies and haluski.
Joe’s is another favorite food stand of mine as the pierogies are smothered with onions and butter, just the way I like it. The potato filling and dough exterior are distinguishably homemade as advertised. I have yet to try their mini donuts, but I may have to if I take another trip to the fair.
After walking all around the fair and eating a variety of different foods, I was becoming thirsty. I decided to wash it all down with some orangeade. Similar to lemonade, orangeade is a sugary but citrusy goodness. I would always get an orangeade as a kid, so it was nostalgic to drink one once more.
No meal is complete without dessert of course. After passing by apple dumplings, ice cream and fried Oreos, I decided to switch it up and buy a box of Italian cookies sold by a bakery that was founded in Brooklyn, N.Y. These cookies were covered in sprinkles and had a soft buttery taste. I am glad I bought a whole box because one cookie was surely not enough. Devouring one of these delicious cookies was the perfect way to end my trip.
The Bloomsburg Fair has been a part of my culture as a Pennsylvanian for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, I was solely interested in trying to win a big teddy bear from the game stands or riding the huge slides. However, now that I have grown older, I have developed a greater appreciation for the food.
I definitely recommend not only these foods, but these small businesses in general. Most of the food stands I mentioned, as well as the majority of food stands at the fair as a whole, are family owned and operated. It is always good to support local small businesses.
After a few hours at the fair, I may have left with an empty wallet, but I can guarantee you that I did not leave with an empty stomach.
