Staff photo by Clay Schuldt The public was able to get its fair food fix Friday as part of the Food Vendor Fair at the Brown County Fairground.

NEW ULM — Bavarian Blast and the Brown County Fair are canceled this summer, but the festival food is still being served at the fairgrounds.

The Brown County Fairground is hosting Fair Food Vendors all weekend. The event opened from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday. The food fair will open again from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Bergstrom concessions, The Lemon, Short but Sweet Refreshments, Goofy Doofy Gyros, Optimist club cheese curds and Five Finger Food truck were all at the fairground Friday and will be open through the weekend. Two new food trucks, Scotty Biggs BBQ and Lingen Dairy Soft Serve will join the other vendors Saturday and Sunday.

Fair board members Kathy Covington and Anna Covington were delighted with the turnout Friday. Within the first few minutes, several dozen people visited the food fair and attendance remained high throughout the evening.

“It is great for just starting,” board member Kathy Covington said, “and everyone is following the rules.”

Anna Covington said most of the vendors were regulars from the county fair who were eager to attend. Many food vendors have struggled under COVID because no one is hosting county fairs this year. Anna said the fair board is not trying to make money off the event. The intent was to give vendors a chance to make money to ensure they will be available next year.

Kathy said it was also a chance to give local people their fair food fix. Many people were craving classic foods and this gave them a chance to indulge.

New Ulm City Councilor David Christian was one of the first at the food fair. He came for a corn dog and said he would be back on Saturday and Sunday.

The line for a corn dog or funnel cake was the longest, but the Optimist Cheese Curd line was always at least three people deep. Most of the guests visited multiple vendors.

Kathy Covington said several people were getting as much food as their arms could carry. The record for most items went to a man carrying a bucket of donuts, a funnel cake plate, two large lemonades and a child. He did not spill anything.

With the success of the food vendor fair, the board is considering hosting a similar event next month. The weekend for next’s month’s food fair is still being determined.