Going to the Merced County Fair? These are five must-try foods

Let the good times roll is the theme of this year’s Merced County Fair which opened Wednesday for five days of attractions, animals and music. The fair includes more than 15 food vendors, featuring a variety of items, including milkshakes, pizza and shaved ice.

Items that are new or at least new to social media are what the Fair looks for when choosing vendors, Fair CEO Teresa Burrola said.

Here are five to look for:

• Dubai Strawberries

Burrola specifically pointed to strawberries covered in Dubai chocolate — the combination of chocolate and pistachios which went viral on social media last year — as one of the new food options.

“I’ve never tried it, so that’s going to be one of my desserts one night and give it a shot,” Burrola said. “But it looks delicious — very rich dessert.”

A cup of strawberries with chocolate and pistachios costs $18.

• Shelby D’s Pizza

Shelby D’s Pizza is a mobile store that sets up at rodeos, fairs, farm shows and concerts. Brittney and Doug Dycus, also own a toy shop which has been at the fair in previous years, with the pizza business being purchased from a friend several years ago.

Brittney Dycus said they make enough pizza dough for 350 to 400 pizzas each day. Pizzas cost between $13 and $15.

“People, they’re here to drink, they’re here to have fun,” Brittney Dycus said. “We try to stay open a little later because we know people aren’t quite ready to go home,”

• 4-H Milk Bar

Continuing a 30-year tradition, children and adult volunteers will be running a milkshake bar with proceeds going to support the Merced County 4-H club. The Milk Bar will have chocolate and vanilla milkshakes for $6 as well as ice cream sandwiches and push pops.

Russ Hill, a 4-H adviser, said they have stocked up over 250 gallons of milk product in preparation for the fair.

Hill said the Milk Bar gives kids a chance to build skills by managing a cash register and sanitation. He said it also funds travel to a leadership conference at UC Davis, keeps costs of 4-H summer camp low and allows 4-H to host a mechanical-skills day at Merced College.

He said the fundraiser brings in between $8,000 and $12,000.

• Hawaiian Shave Ice

Temperatures in Merced are expected to reach 96 degrees on Saturday, creating an opportunity for attendees to also try Hawaiian shaved ice.

“Usually this is a hot one, but this is not as hot this year as it has been,” said Scott Sanders, who owns the booth with his wife. “I don’t think it’s gonna hurt our sales too much. I mean, we are down a little today but there’s other reasons for that as well. I think we’ll be fine.”

A cup of shaved ice costs $7- $10 with the option to add ice cream.

• Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls

Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls describes itself as a three-generation family-run business. It sells fresh-baked cinnamon rolls as well as flour and bake-at-home packages — the latter being an adaptation from the coronavirus pandemic.

Augie Magdaleno, who married one of the second-generation owners, said they run two shifts, one in the morning and another in the evening. He said they spend almost two weeks setting up for a fair.

Cinnamon rolls cost between $8 and $11.

The Merced County Fair runs through Sunday, June 8 starting at 5 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.