Try a Purple Cow at the Evergreen State Fair
Courtesy of the Evergreen State Fair
The Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, Washington, takes place August 23 through September 3, 2022. It is a place where the quirky spirit of the Northwest lives on. For better or worse, in many ways the fair hasn’t changed for decades. Its wood barns filled with green beans, patchwork quilts, and folk art seem strangely modern in an era when city folk are yearning for a return to the land.
But Road Trips Foodies want to hear about the food.
Let’s be clear: the Evergreen State Fair is not the place to go for a healthy and sensible salad. It’s the place to go for deep-fried everything. This is the place where you go to tantalize your taste buds, damn the caloric intake. And you can deep fry a lot: Twinkies, turkey legs, and deep-fried Oreos.
The Purple Cow. As near as I can tell, this ice cream-based beverage is completely unique to the Evergreen State Fair. A purple cow is vanilla ice cream, blackberry syrup (this is the “purple” part), and 7Up. It’s a sudden shock to the old blood sugar levels, which is, of course, the appeal. Every seventh customer gets a free Purple Cow, on the house.
The elephant ear is fried dough sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. The fair scone (Washington’s signature fair food since 1915) is white flour baked and topped with sugary jelly (photo, above left). Both are off the glycemic scale. Why not get both and pair them with a solid brick of greasy curly fries drenched in ketchup?
The Corn on the Cob. A classic fairground food. You can get a basic buttery cob or spice it up with a cayenne version.
And, if you go to the fair be sure to visit the nearby longhouse with totem poles. Members from local tribes sell barbecued salmon out of the building. The salmon comes with a garnish of cranberries.
The fair is located at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, 14405 179th Avenue SE, Monroe, Washington (about 15 miles north of downtown Seattle).
Bring cash. Most vendors take debit cards, but, generally speaking, cash is king. Oh — bring sunglasses and a hat.
Fair hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (closes at 7 p.m. on the last day).
