Tulsa State Fair: New Attractions And Beloved Traditions

Lacie Lowry, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Friday was the first full day of the Tulsa State Fair. The Gates opened at 11 a.m. The weather is great, and there are a lot of new attractions and food booths waiting for you.

Parking so far hasn't been a problem; security hasn't had any issues --- and the food and rides are getting all the attention.

You'll have your fair share of fun on the Midway with 34 regular rides, 20 kiddie rides and four extreme rides.

The Maxx Superfly is brand new this year -- $15 a ride. It's basically a giant swing that spins you head over heels while also rotating like a Ferris wheel.

"You control the spin, if you want to spin forwards or backwards. It's just a giant free spin and you swing your legs to get it going one way or the other," said fair goer Jesse Poe.

Another new attraction is the Drag Strip. For five tickets, you can slide down the hilly rainbow and race others.

Deep fried everything is all the rave again. This year, 12 new food vendors have come up with some tasty creations, like deep fried cookie dough.

Ray and Jennifer Cook say they love it.

"I don't know, I've never seen anything like it, so why not. You're at the fair, right, once a year. Can't get it anywhere else," Jennifer said.

At that same booth between the Exchange Center and Dealers Barn, try the deep fried pineapple. It looks like a donut.

A few booths down, you'll also find the red velvet funnel cake with cream cheese frosting. And if you don't want as many calories as the fried stuff, just get cupcakes that look like your favorite fair foods, from hamburgers to buckets of buttery popcorn.

"We have to explain it over and over, these are cupcakes.'Well does it taste like a hotdog?' No, it's a cupcake. 'Well is there a hotdog in it?' No, it's all cupcakes and frosting," said Kimberly Jilek of Kimmy's Cupcakes.

You'll also find a lot of talents on display at the Tulsa State Fair, including sugar artists showing off their sweetest side.

"Inside our state, outside our state, outside of our country, people travel to come to the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show," said Janette Stenstrom of All Things Cake.

Cake creators of all ages and skill levels compete in different categories for the Sugar Show. There's also the separate competition called the Grand National Wedding Cake Competition.

"This is the biggest one we've ever had and with the downturn in the economy, it really surprised me," said organizer Kerry Vincent.

The prize money is bigger than ever, too. The total purse is nearly $120,000, spread out among the categories.

The grand champion of the wedding cake competition will take home $20,000, all the kids entered in the show get the new model of the easy bake oven and spectators get to see a visual, decorative feast

You can also enjoy some great live music, child exhibits free health screenings and more. The fair runs through October 9th.

9/29/2011 Related Story: Tulsa State Fair Kicks Off At Expo Square