The Angel Stadium of Anaheim has created a free drive-thru Fair Foodie Fest that offers a wide selection of fair food favorites. It even hosts a carnival game where visitors can pay, play and win prizes all while following social distancing regulations.
Although the OC Fair & Events Center is hosting a similar event just a few miles away, this one is advertised as a “safe drive-thru no-contact fair experience like no other,” as said on the Fair Foodie Fest event page.
Upon entry, guests are given a map of the event and a menu for each booth. There are two car lanes: a passing lane and an order lane. Cars can enter or exit each lane, depending on what they are interested in ordering. There is no event staff to help guide traffic, and with only cones to separate the lanes, it may be confusing to some.
The event has a total of ten booths, all with different fair food selections to choose from. Barbecued food is served from Juicy’s 18-wheeler Outlaw Grill, also known as “The World’s Largest Grill.”
The first five booths have savory dishes available for purchase, including Corn in a Cup with the option of crushed Hot Cheetos, Giant Corndogs and Giant Turkey Legs. The average price for the savory food is $12, with the most expensive selection being the Dinner Plate at $20. The Dinner Plate includes waffle fries, coleslaw and a choice of either chicken or ribs. Considering the size of the food and the amount given, the price is worth every buck.
The next four booths offer classic deep-fried fair foods and sweets. Arguably the most popular fair food is the funnel cake. A regular funnel cake is $11, and a strawberry whip cream funnel cake is $15. Topping it off with Nutella is an extra $2.
The deep-fried booth offers Fried Cheese Cake, Fried Snickers, Fried Twinkies and Fried Oreos, each for $8. They also offer many options of cotton candy, churros, caramel or candied apples and kettle corn.
What separates this event from other fair food drive-thrus is the socially distant carnival game. The last booth of the drive-thru hosts a popular ring toss where guests can play and win prizes right from their car. They also offer a wide range of carnival prizes for sale, including fluffy stuffed unicorns and NBA merchandise. To play, guests can purchase a basket of rings for $5.
There are several fair attractions set up throughout the event, such as the Dreamland mirror maze. However, these are only for display and are not available for visitors to interact with due to the coronavirus.
The drive-thru event started on Friday, October 9, and will only run for two more weekends. During their opening day, there was no wait time throughout the event, but traffic can be expected to increase as the event gains more popularity during later weekends and especially during the night time.
Tickets to the event are free; visitors pay for their food, drinks and ring toss rings. Carnival prizes can also be purchased seperately. With advance registration to the event, visitors can get a free mini-funnel cake.
All vendors are following mandated COVID-19 regulations and are wearing masks and gloves at all times.
For more information on the event or to register for free tickets and a free mini-funnel cake, visit their website https://www.fairfoodiefest.com/.
