The Three Rivers Festival is almost here!! It is my favorite festival and the best part of the summer! With the return of the Three Rivers Festival, means the return of my favorite part of the whole festival… Junk Food Alley!! In my eyes, it is the best part of the festival!

Deep Fried Sweets at the Three Rivers Festival

The Best Treats at the Three Rivers Festival

Junk Food Ally runs throughout the entire festival from 11 am – 11 pm daily. It is definitely a delicious place to walk around and hang out. There are definitely some fond memories of Junk Food Ally from my childhood. I have several personal traditions while at Junk Food Alley.

Spiral Spuds

Every year, I go and get four items. (Not all on one day of course! I pace myself throughout the week.) The first thing I always get is some Spiral Spuds. Sometimes I get them loaded with cheese, ranch, and bacon bits. Other times I just get them plain. One reason I love them so much is because they are the perfect combination of French fries and potato chips. If you are in the mood for both, this is the perfect compromise. And they are big enough to share!

Root Beer

The second thing I get is Bayou Billy’s Homebrew root beer. It is very good! I love it. Plus, you can buy a souvenir cup. Then, each time you come you can bring it with you and get refills for $1. If you have last year’s cup, bring that one too. You can refill that one for $1 as well! I have friends that buy a new one every year, but also continue to use their old ones.

Elephant Ears

The third thing I always get is an elephant ear! I love their deep-fried cinnamon-sugary goodness. This also takes me back to when I was about 4 or 5 years old when my dad first bought me an elephant ear. I was in love with its deliciousness!

Deep-Friend Oreos

My fourth favorite is a newer tradition. About three or four years ago, I first tried deep-fried Oreos. I could not believe how good it was. If you have never had one, I suggest trying one this year! It is so delicious!

My final piece of advice: go more than one day. Junk Food Alley is not the type of thing you can experience all in one day. You do not have to go every day, but there is a lot of good food to be enjoyed. So space out your junk food indulgence, make some memories, and have fun with the ones you love!

- - - - - - - - - Three Rivers Festival, Indiana's second-largest festival offers 9 days of fun for the entire family!  From the opening day parade, arts, crafts, amusement rides, and International Village, to live music, the Bed Race, and the all-new RiverGames Water Wars and canoe races, Three Rivers Festival brings family-friendly fun to the heart of downtown Fort Wayne!  Location: Headwaters Park – Downtown Fort Wayne For additional information, please visit the Three Rivers Festival website.

*This post was originally published June 2012 and has been updated and reformated.