Ten unique treats you won’t want to miss at this year’s Northwest Washington Fair
The Northwest Washington Fair has officially opened its doors for the 2022 fair season, and many people plan to ride carnival rides and watch the shows. This reporter was there for the food.
When people think of a fair, they think of cotton candy, corn dogs, fried desserts and more, but the fair in Lynden has more treats that you won’t want to miss.
Here are 10 must-eat dishes at the fair this summer:
Fair scone
The Mount Baker Toppers, a local men’s a cappella group, serves a classic Fair scone with raspberry jam, perfect for your start to the day.
The scone cost $3, and was big enough to share. The raspberry jam was delicious and the scone itself melted in my mouth, even though it was a little crumbly.
The Mount Baker Toppers booth also sold curly fry bricks that could barely fit on a plate for $10. The Mount Baker Topper’s booth is located in the large outdoor food court area, west of the grandstand.
Bunny-shaped cotton candy
This cotton candy stand took the classic sweet treat to a whole new level.
Sweet Art Cotton Candy is based in Seattle and creates fun animals out of the fair favorite. Classic cotton candy costs $8, but if you’d like to have a bunny, duck or bear it will cost $11.
The unique cotton candy stand is located north of the outdoor food court area, along the walkway of the east side of the small animal experience area.
Waffle fries with aioli
Feast food truck, a local family-owned business features waffle fries with homemade aioli, a perfect filling snack, without the greasiness of typical fair food.
The $11.50 waffle fries were well seasoned and crispy and were paired with homemade garlic and Sriracha aioli that was delicious.
The food truck also served Reuben sandwiches, beer-battered mushrooms, Reuben fries and gluten-free bread and is located in the outdoor food court area, west of the grandstand.
Kettle corn
This kettle corn is not like the others. This coffee crunch kettle corn is sweet, and not to mention caffeinated, but Lindsay’s Crazy for Kettle Corn also offers 15 other flavors at the fair.
From dill pickle, salted caramel, Lucky Charms, coffee crunch, Skittles, watermelon, circus cookies or classic kettle corn, this booth was worth waiting in line for.
One large bag of flavored popcorn costs $10.87. Lindsay’s Crazy for Kettle Corn stand is located north of the outdoor food court area, along the walkway of the north side of the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show.
Mango bubble tea
When people think of fair food, they probably don’t think of bubble tea in a lightbulb-shaped glass, but this was a delicious and refreshing stop at the fair.
Light Bulb Bubble Tea serves both mango and strawberry flavors of bubble tea in a plastic, take-home cup, as well as lemonade. The mango bubble tea cost $14.36 and was very sweet and refreshing.
The bubble tea stand is located in the outdoor food court area, west of thegrandstand and is connected to Ray’s Teriyaki.
Mac and cheese
The Cornerstone Cafe supports Cornerstone Christian School and serves burgers, fries, mac and cheese, chicken strips, nachos and even breakfast.
The Pony Mac and Cheese costs $6 and was very creamy and cheesy. For $2 more, you can get Cowboy Mac and Cheese, with bacon and haystack onions added. It’s an affordable snack option and will fill you up.
The Cornerstone Cafe has its own area southwest from the outdoor food court, located close to the warm-up arena.
Watermelon lemonade
One fair classic you can see around almost every corner is lemonade. I visited the “Custom Made Lemonade” stand to get my lemonade fix, and it did not disappoint.
The 32-ounce lemonade costs $9, but with watermelon flavor added, it came out to $13.54. The stand also offered cherry and strawberry flavors.
The lemonade stand is located just south of the festival stage, near the dog and cat barn.
Moo-wich
You can’t go to the Northwest Washington Fair without having its classic creamy treat, the Moo-wich. There are multiple Whatcom County Dairy Women booth locations that sell the treat, as well as ice cream, soft-serve sundaes and milkshakes.
The vanilla ice cream between two chocolate chunk cookies was big enough to share and cost $5.
Moo-wiches can be found at the main Whatcom County Dairy Women stand just north of the clock tower, right next to guest services. Another smaller stand is located north of the outdoor food court area, along the walkway of the east side of the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show.
Strawberry kebab
This unique fair treat was a hidden gem, as the small stand can be missed if you’re in a hurry.
Shishkaberrys is based in Seattle and is all about fruit on a stick, including frozen chocolate-dipped banana bites and chocolate-covered strawberries with various toppings.
The “Reverse Sy’ Berryan Tiger” is a strawberry kebab dipped in dark and white chocolate and costs $10.50. Visitors can also try a “Berry Good Cookie” kebab that tops the chocolate strawberries with Oreo cookie crumbs or a “Berry Nut’ricious” that coats the strawberries in a mix of chocolate and nuts.
The Shishkaberrys stand is located north of the outdoor food court area, along the walkway of the east side of the small animal experience area.
Poffertjes
This Dutch treat is a must-have while visiting the fair in Lynden and is a well-loved staple from The Lynden Dutch Bakery.
Poffertjes are similar to mini pancakes, typically made with yeast and buckwheat flour and are served with sweet butter for $7. The stand also offered other Dutch treats and is located on the south side of the farm pavilion building.
The Northwest Washington Fair is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Aug. 20 and is located at 1775 Front St. in Lynden.
