Fair food making the Tri-State Fair experience

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - One thing everyone looks forward to at the Tri-State Fair is the eats and usually there is a lot of fried food.

One of the many places to sample at the Tri-State Fair is Archie’s Deep Fried Ice Cream, which has been a food vendor at the fair for 65 years.

“It’s kind of like a family reunion for us, it brings us all together and keeps the tradition alive,” says Keton Wyatt, co-manager, Archie’s Deep Fried Ice Cream.

The local family business uses a secret recipe to make it’s ice cream with a warm crust but a frozen inside and the dish leaves fair goers guessing.

“What’s in it, what the ingredients are,” says Derrick Hughes, co-manager, Archie’s Deep Fried Ice Cream. “We’ve tried to keep it as a family recipe and keep it to ourselves.”

Wyatt says he grew up at the fair and has enjoyed seeing it evolve but keep its homegrown values.

Boydstons Fair Food has been a food vendor at the Tri-State Fair for 25 years.

“It seems like no matter what I still get the same crowd every year,” says David Boydston, owner of Boydstons Fair Food. “I enjoy that too, seeing friendly faces come back every year.”

The local vendor specializes in deep fried cheese on a stick and other fairs have asked the vendor to come but it stays in Amarillo.

The owner has worked at the fair since high school and in 2006 he bought the business he now runs.

“I love the atmosphere, when I first came out here in high school I was like instantly like this is what I want to do this is where I want to be,” says Boydston. “I just love the circus type fair atmosphere, I made it a part of my life.”

Boydston says family and friends work his booth and the money he makes helps him put his children through college.

The fair has received a lot of feedback saying people look forward to the fair specifically for the fair food.

Along with normal operating hours, the fairgrounds are open and free to get in during lunch for people to get their full of fair food.

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