Hadley Bodell
Editor in Chief
The Eastern Idaho State Fair wrapped up in early September, ending a successful string of ticket-selling weekends with a sold-out Demolition Derby. Fair-goers come back year after year for events like the horse races, swing dancing competitions, pie-eating contests, countless concerts throughout the month, and the carnival rides. But one thing marks the experience of the Eastern Idaho State Fair like none other: the food.
Whether it’s the iconic Bullseye Burger featuring a glazed donut in the place of the bun, or the classic Twisted Tater potatoes, the vendors in Blackfoot each year bring their A game. The food is so coveted that Eastern Idaho State Fair representatives crown winners each year for categories like “Best New Sweet,” “Best New Entree,” “People’s Choice,” and more.
This year, vendors Sweet Temptations and Camille’s Crepes dominated the leaderboard. Sweet Temptation’s “Campfire Secret” dessert featuring a chocolate whoopie pie, vanilla ice cream, marshmallow, and chocolate chips took first place in “Best New Sweet.” The same vendor won the category in 2024 for their dessert “The Devil’s Delight,” which took second place in the “Fairest of them All” sweets category this year.
“It was inspired by an Argentinian [who] came to visit,” said Lacey Secrist, owner of Sweet Temptations, about The Devil’s Delight. “It’s like a devil’s food cake with caramel sauce, and they top it with peaches. So we elevated that and we did a devil’s food cake with caramel sauce, a cream cheese frosting, fresh peaches, homemade candied pecans, strawberries, and soft serve ice cream.”
Secrist also revealed that the truck has been in the family for years, and it’s set apart by their process of making everything in small batches on-site. Every bite from Sweet Temptations is homemade, down to the toasting of Secrist’s own almonds!
Noah Farley, a 29-year-old fair goer, treated himself to 2023’s “Fairest of Them All” category winner, the pumpkin whoopie pie.
“It’s almost fall,” he said. “I’m ready for pumpkin-flavored desserts.”
Despite hardly being able to finish the incredibly sweet dessert, he was happy to see it back on the Sweet Temptations menu this year.
A familiar smell met Pocatello residents who attend the Portneuf Valley Farmer’s Market – Camille’s Crepes. They offer sweet crepes with fruit and spreads, as well as savory crepes, including a Monte Cristo.
Camille’s Crepes brought home the first-place prize for “Fairest of Them All” with their dessert, which they call “Peachy Keen.”
“We’ve competed every year and we’ve always placed, but we’ve never taken first,” said Camille Gilbert, owner of Camille’s Crepes. “So this is our first first, which is so exciting!”
Gilbert said she’s wanted to do peaches for a long time, but was adamant they had to be fresh-cut from either Idaho or Utah. Then, she decided to pair it with their sweet cream previously used with strawberries in other crepes.
“I thought it gets a bit sloppy, so what if we cut the crepes into almost noodles and put them in a cup so people can walk around with it?” said Gilbert. “People just went crazy for it. We finally honed in on the whole package of textures, flavors, and convenience and nailed it. We were so honored to take that first place.”
Gilbert says they won’t stop here. They have plans in the works for a delightful raspberry-themed crepe for next year.
Camille’s Crepes isn’t just a food truck – they have a permanent location in Chubbuck open Monday-Friday, while their truck is open at the Portneuf Valley Farmer’s Market on Saturdays through October.
Another staple for the Eastern Idaho State Fair is Karrie Anne’s gelato and Italian ice, served at Rexburg Kiwani’s food truck. The business opened three locations in the Treasure Valley this summer, quickly gaining a significant fanbase in the Meridian and Boise areas.
With so many incredible desserts to choose from, it’s hard to remember to eat some “real” food too.
“I eat at least two Bullseye Burgers per day that I’m here every year,” said Cody Walker, an ISU senior who attends the fair every year with his family.
The Bullseye Burger is a hamburger patty with cheese put on a glazed donut instead of a bun. Walker said he prefers the “Sunrise,” which is a Bullseye Burger with an egg.
Despite the line at Bullseye Burger being incredibly long, Blackhawk BBQ dominated the rankings for this year’s entree and people’s choice categories. Their “Triple Mac” won second place, and the people’s choice award went to Blackhawk’s burger called “The Warhawk.”
