Fair food is a culture to itself. Many people wait all year for that classic turkey leg or funnel cake at the North Carolina State Fair, and others look to the new, more adventurous offerings. 

On the menu this year: Alaskan king crab pops, sausage and peppers egg roll, battered balogne fries, Korean barbecue kimchi nachos and more. On the sweet side, vendors are cooking up strawberry lemonade donuts, s'more pizza cones and birthday cake cookie dough on a stick.

What You Need To Know

  •  The North Carolina State Fair runs Oct. 17 through 27

  •  The fair will feature the classic turkey legs, sausages and cotton candy

  •  There are 72 new food items at the fair this year for more adventurous eaters

The fair will feature 72 new food options when it opens Thursday. At a preview for members of the media earlier in the week, vendors brought samples of 32 of those new foods.

Get a full rundown from the state fair on this year's new foods here. There's also a new interactive map to help people find their favorite foods and rides.

Cool Runnings Jamaican food truck out of Raleigh won the media choice award for best new food with jerk pork belly bao buns, fusing Jamaican jerk with a traditional Chinese bun. Cool Runnings won the media choice award before, with a jerk chicken slider in 2021.

Related: Peach cobbler pizza, live music and more: A look at the N.C. State Fair

The state fair opens Thursday and runs through Oct. 27.