Food at the fair

 After the goat show at the Allen County Fair, Sheila Askins of Lima and her daughter Karlie had one thing on their minds--food.  

"Gotta get my fair fries, and I'm out of here, " said Askins.  

Karlie favored a blue raspberry shaved ice.  

The choices are vast from traditional sit down fare at the school booths to on the go treats served on a stick.  Organizers say there are 180 vendors at the fair and 80 are selling food.  Even concessions manager, Dar Hollar, can't resist the temptation. Her big weakness are corn dogs and french fries.  

Pizza isn't a traditional fair item in Allen County, but a new vendor this year is trying to change that .  A wood fired pizza stand near the rabbit and poultry barns is offering several unique selections.  

And while most people probably wait until lunch to sample the fair cuisine, the gates do open early in the morning for breakfast.  

However, food at the fair isn't just about self indulgence.  The fair board is teaming up with the West Ohio Food Bank to collect canned goods.  From eight in the morning to six in the evening a two dollar admission discount was given in exchange for a donation.  

"We did this last year for the first time, and you know it went so well we thought we'd go ahead and try it again this year see if we could make it bigger," said Gary Bright, West Ohio Food Bank.  

The donations will help stock the shelves at area food pantries and soup kitchens.