More than 65 new things to eat and drink at 2017 Wisconsin State Fair

Better get training now: There are more than 65 new food and beverage items on the menu at the 2017 Wisconsin State Fair. 

The old standbys are there, too, of course: cream puffs at the Original Cream Puff Pavilion; corn dogs; and, at last count on the fair's website, 94 different foods on a stick. 

Thirty-one food offerings were entered in the fair's annual Sporkies contest, with eight finalists announced last month. 

The eight finalists in this year's Sporkies battle will square off in a competition judged by local celebrities at the fair on Aug. 9. Fairgoers can vote for a fairgoers' favorite during the first six days of the fair, which runs Aug. 3-13 at State Fair Park in West Allis. 

But there's plenty more where those came from. 

Here are some of the new stuff to stuff your face with at this year's fair, which runs from Aug. 3 to 13 at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis. 

Lots of Tots: No fewer than six new items this year celebrate one of nature's perfect foods, the Tater Tot. Knucklehead, the food and music spot, has five new types of Tots, including Drunk Tots (with beer cheese and bacon accents), while Saz's BBQ has Housemade Cheddar Tots. 

Bacon bonanza: Bacon is part of at least 78 foods served at this year's fair, including one of this year's Sporkies finalists: Three Little Pigs Ravioli, handmade bacon ravioli stuffed with a homemade bacon bourbon jam, house-smoked pulled pork shoulder, pancetta, cream cheese, Wisconsin smoked gouda and scallions (at Brew City Pizza).

Sugartown: Another Sporkies contender is Chocomela Nachos — cinnamon sugar tortilla chips topped with salted caramel gelato, milk chocolate gelato, whipped cream, sweet chocolate coating, salty peanut sauce and peanut pieces (La Coppa Artisan Gelato).  

Cricket craze: If you haven't had enough bugs this summer, try Cricket Chips or Cricket Nachos, both promised to be "gluten-free and high in protein" (both at All Things Jerky). 

Deep-fried fever: If you thought they'd run out of stuff to deep-fry and serve at the fair, you'd be wrong. The new-food roster this year includes Deep-Fried Cherry Pie Wonton (Leadfoots Race Bar & Grill), Deep-Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich Bites (Tropics at the Fair), Deep-Fried Nutella (Granny's Cheesecake & More) and Deep-Fried Bacon-Wrapped Olives on a Stick (Fried Fruit & Fried Olives). 

Whole lotta Elvis going on: Don't be surprised if you spot the King at the 2017 fair. At least two food items have that Elvis Presley vibe: Monkey Business, a caramelized banana burrito stuffed with homemade bacon jam and creamy peanut putter, deep-fried, and topped with a drizzle of Wisconsin honey and a sprinkle of chipotle cinnamon sugar (Saz's BBQ); and Fat Elvis Shake Shake Shake — peanut butter cup and banana ice cream, with fried bacon bits, blended into a milk shake then topped with whipped cream, bacon bits, chocolate sauce, and a deep-fried mini Elvis, served in a peanut butter and chopped peanut-rimmed cup (Slim's Lakefront Brew Pub & Eatery, which already serves a Deep-Fried Elvis on a Stick, or a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup dipped in banana batter and deep-fried).

For a list of all 65 of the new eats at the 2017 Wisconsin State Fair, go to wistatefair.com/fair/new-foods. The fair also has a handy food-search site: wistatefair.com/fair/food-search.