Arizona
Arizona State Fair 2024: 12 wildest new foods — cotton candy cake to bacon taco
Best things to eat at the Arizona State Fair in 2023
These are the fair foods worth standing in line for at the Arizona State Fair, from tacos to sweet treats.
The 2024 Arizona State Fair is just around the corner. Some guests may go for the rides, the carnival games, the concerts at the Coliseum or the farm animals on display. But perhaps one of the most exciting things about the state fair is the chance to try all the wacky foods, from ooey gooey desserts to deep-fried everything.
This year, vendors at the Arizona State Fair are introducing over 40 new menu items across the fairgrounds, including cakes made of cotton candy and pretzels covered in Flaming Hot Cheetos.
Here are 12 of the wildest new foods to try at the 2024 Arizona State Fair.
Cowboy Crunch
A sweet dessert option is the Cowboy Crunch, which comprises a thick and chewy oatmeal cookie crumble loaded and topped with chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Available at Totally Baked Cookie Joint (#31 on the map).
Fried Giant Mozzarella Stick
This is not your average mozzarella stick. The fried giant mozzarella stick is exactly what it sounds like: a deep fried, 8-inch mozzarella stick. Available at Hog Daddy’s Roadhouse (#82).
Ultimate Arizona State Fair 2024 guide: Concerts, tickets, hours and location
Pretzels
Three new pretzels are available from Going Nuts (#28). The first is the massive chocolate nut twist, covered in a white chocolate and chocolate drizzle and chopped pecans. Then there is the Flaming hot twist, which comprises nacho cheese on a Bavarian style pretzel topped with Hot Cheeto crunch. Finally, there is the cinnamon twist, covered in white chocolate drizzle and cinnamon sugar crystals.
Watermelon Taco
The new watermelon taco features a slice of watermelon scooped out to resemble a taco shell, filled with your choice of mango, pineapple or watermelon soft serve topped with a tamarind stick. Available at Pineapple Express (#13).
Candied Watermelon or Pineapple
Pineapple Express (#13) is also introducing the option of either a watermelon or pineapple slice on a stick, wrapped in a fruit roll up and topped with chamoy and tajin.
Pickle Split
Another new item from Pineapple Express (#13) is the pickle split: imagine a traditional banana split. Now imagine it with dill pickle, pineapple dole whip, sour spaghetti straw candy and chamoy tajin. Still can’t imagine how that would taste? You’ll simply have to try it (or not).
Spam-on-a-stick
One of the greatest joys of the state fair is all sorts of foods served on a stick. The new spam-on-a-stick takes the canned meat you’re probably familiar with and batters and deep fries it. Available at Boba King (#21).
Crispy Chicken Funnel Cake
The new crispy chicken funnel cake takes the classic state fair dessert and adds a savory twist. Available at Stizzy’s Iron Skillet Funnel Cakes (#64).
Birthday Cake Shake
If you’re celebrating your birthday during state fair season, what better way than with a cake batter milkshake topped with a funfetti cupcake? Available at Swirl Ice Cream (#24).
Cotton Candy Cake
Another option for state fair birthdays, the cotton candy cake is a multi-layered cake made entirely of cotton candy and sprinkled with colorful sugar crystals. Available at Candyland (#7).
Elephant Ears
Since the state fair is known for insane foods, it feels necessary to clarify these are not actual elephant ears. This new treat from Mason’s Den (#20) comprises giant pieces of golden-brown, deep-fried dough topped with cinnamon and sugar.
Bacon Taco
Exactly what it sounds like: this new item from Carne Cafe Taco Stand (#49) comprises a hard taco shell stuffed with bacon.
Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on X, formerly Twitter.
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Arizona
Person accused of making terroristic threats to medical facility in northern Arizona
PAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — A person accused of making terroristic threats toward a northern Arizona medical facility was arrested Friday morning.
Just after 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a person calling the facility and threatening to kill staff and Native Americans, according to the Page Police Department.
Authorities said staff placed the facility on lockdown until officers identified the suspect and arrested them outside their home.
The suspect was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threatening and intimidating, and making terroristic threats. Police have not publicly identified the person.
“The Page Police Department is grateful for and supports the medical staff’s decision to put the medical facility into lockdown until the suspect was arrested and the situation was rendered safe,” the department said in a Facebook post.
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Arizona
NFL mock draft: 4-round projections for Arizona Cardinals
In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Arizona
Detroit Lions NFL Draft Injury Report: Arizona State CB Keith Abney
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
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