NMSF News:
The New Mexico State Fair announced the competitors for two of its most highly anticipated contests, the Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge and the Unique Foods Contest.
The Unique Foods Contest is the ultimate celebration of Fair foods; sweet, salty, fried, smothered, you name it, this competition has it. Set to take place at noon on opening day, Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Chevron Pavilion, you won’t want to miss this epic culinary throwdown. A panel of local media personalities will serve as judges. Each vendor who enters their dish will ensure it is available to purchase for the general public during the Fair:
Fried Alligator w/ Boudin Balls
Crispy, fried, and perfectly seasoned alligator served with deep-fried, seasoned, bite-sized Boudin balls. Boudin balls are crunchy on the outside with a smooth, flavorful interior. Served with melted cheese.
Concessionaire: Seafood Cajun Café – Food Court
Sweet and Spicy Spam Fries
Spam strips are battered and deep-fried to extra crispy before being glazed with sweet syrup and topped with a spicy aioli. This treat is served in an original Spam can.
Concessionaire: B&B Concessions – Food Court
Dubai Funnel Cake
A piping hot funnel cake is sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with Dubai pistachio cream. The funnel cake is then drizzled with chocolate and topped with whipped cream.
Concessionaire: Popn’ Mama – Racetrack Avenue
Green Chile Sriracha Funnel Cake
A piping hot funnel cake is topped with fresh New Mexico-grown green chile before a sriracha sauce drizzle tops it all off.
Concessionaire: R&J – Food Court
Cinnaburger
A hand-formed beef patty is grilled to perfection and served between two fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. It’s then piled high with pickles, lettuce, tomato, cheese and green chile. The burger is then topped with vanilla frosting and dusted with powdered sugar.
Concessionaire: Rex’s – South of Natural Resources building
Sausage S’more Skewer
Skewers piled high with chunks of perfectly smoked sausage and toasted marshmallow are drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped with graham cracker crumbles.
Concessionaire: Top Notch – Heritage
“If you love Fair Food this is the contest for you,” said State Fair General Manager Dan Mourning. “You want wacky, crazy food, we got wacky, crazy, yet always delicious, food right here at the New Mexico State Fair and every item in this competition will be available to purchase throughout the run of the Fair.”
On Main Street just north of Heritage Ave. at noon on Monday, Sept. 8, the Original Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge, sponsored by the New Mexico Gas Company, features 9 restaurants from across the State who will throw down for the coveted title of New Mexico State Fair Champion:
Downshift Brewing Co. – Lincoln County
Fuego 505 – Bernalillo County
Craft Republic – Bernalillo County
Owl Café (Albuquerque) – Bernalillo County
The Grill @ The Sheraton – Bernalillo County
Sparky’s Burgers, BBQ & Espresso – Dona Ana County
Isleta Grill – Isleta Pueblo
Grill at the Monte Carlo – Taos County
Laguna Burger– Laguna Pueblo
“This is the Super Bowl of Green Chile Cheeseburger contests in this State,” Mourning said. “It continues to get bigger and bigger each year so we decided to move it out to Main Street to accommodate the huge crowds that flock to this event. People’s choice ballots are extremely limited so make sure you’re here early!”
The nine restaurants will compete for two awards, the blind judging and the people’s choice awards. Hungry fairgoers hoping to get a taste of the best burgers in the state will have a chance to land one out of 100 highly sought-after people’s choice ballots.
For those wishing to participate, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, with the help of the New Mexico State Police, will distribute 300 envelopes to hopeful fairgoers. One hundred of those envelopes will contain a “golden ticket,” which can be redeemed for a wristband and a ballot for judging the competition. The other 200 envelopes will contain a variety of prizes. To be a people’s choice judge, you must have a wristband AND a ballot.
The 2025 New Mexico State Fair is scheduled from Sept. 4-14, 2025. The State Fair promises to be an incredible event, highlighting the culture, agriculture, art and beauty of New Mexico, including top quality music and entertainment. Visit statefair.exponm.com to purchase your tickets today, including park and ride and concert tickets.