Stroll around the grounds of the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center – home of the 2024 Umatilla County Fair – and you will quickly catch the familiar scent of fair food coming from the more than two dozen food vendors at this year’s event.
Elephant ears, funnel cakes, curly fries and foot-long hot dogs have been fair staples for generations and can be found in abundance at this year’s fair. Hankering for a deep-fried pickle? Get ‘em while they’re hot. If you’re the daring type willing to pull the pin and blow up your diet, then you will want to try the Deep-Fried What? Loaded with Oreos, cheesecake, a Reese’s cup, Snickers bar and a PB&J sandwich, this concoction is sure to keep your dentist busy for a while.
This year’s fair has attracted vendors from near and far, including a few who made the trek from California to serve up their own menu of unique treats.
Karim Azar has been serving tasty treats for 43 years. For three decades, he owned Azars Restaurant in Spokane, Wash. After selling his restaurant, he drove a school bus for several years before retiring – sort of. He now travels around to various fairs and events selling his Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Among the cities he travels to include Lewiston, Idaho; Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho; Moses Lake, Wash., the Tri-Cities and now Hermiston. He will be heading back to Spokane for the annual Pig Out in the Park in September.
Azar said his gyros are always a big seller and this week in Hermiston, gyros with seziki sauce a favorite with fair attendees. Seziki sauce combines sour cream, cucumber, mint, garlic, tomato, onion and feta cheese (upon request).
“The sauce and meat together make it special,” Azar said. Vegans and vegetarians will also find something on the menu to try.
“We have something for everybody,” Azar said.
Zech and Alma Weinman, owners of Doghouse Concessions, traveled from the Salem area to offer up their fare at this year’s Umatilla County Fair. According to the Weinmans, their Mexican-style corn elote with mayo and cotija cheese has been a big hit.
“It’s roasted at 550 degrees for half an hour,” Alma said. “It comes out a little charred and that gives it that roasted flavor.”
For those who prefer more conventional fare, Doghouse Concessions also offer regular roasted corn on the cob as well as baked potatoes loaded with butter, cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon and green onions.
Operating a concession stand is a part-time gig for the couple. Zech works at a lumber mill and Alma is a caregiver for the state of Oregon. This is the first time they’ve been to the Umatilla County Fair.
“We just thought we’d stop by and check it out,” she said. “Business has been pretty steady.”
If you have a taste for Peruvian fare, you might want to head over to El Camaron, operated by Aylinne Mendoza, Genesis Ocampo and Jeremy Mendoza. They drove up from Orange County, California, to set up their food stand at the fair.
Despite their short time in food industry – just seven months in business – they’ve traveled all around the West setting up at events in Seattle, Spokane, Nevada and Arizona.
They specialize in ceviche, a Peruvian dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. They also offer a shrimp and veggie plate with rice, shrimp kabobs as well as shrimp cocktail, which they say is a popular choice at this year’s fair.
They made the journey from Orange County to Hermiston with Destiny and Daisy Ocampo (cousin of Genesis Ocampo of El Camaron) and Daisy’s fiancé, Allen Flores, who are running the Pancake Girl just a few yards away from El Camaron.
“We’re known for our mini-pancakes,” said Destiny. The Pancake Girl also has cold, sweet beverages to keep you cool. Milkshakes and strawberry “Smurfys” should satisfy the sweetest of teeth. If you’re looking for something more substantial, you could try a fruity, consisting of whipped cream, bananas, strawberries and chocolate on top of a pastry. Their own unique take on S’mores includes marshmallows and chocolate poured over a pastry.
For a full list of the food and other vendors at this year’s event, check out the fair’s website.
