ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — The sweet and savory scents of new foods will sweep through the Orange County Fair this summer, offering new invitations for gastronomical joy — or warnings of impending gastrointestinal distress.

Amid the hosts of vendors selling classics like funnel cake or corn dogs will be a collection of new vendors looking to up the ante on just how outrageous a creation they can fashion.

What You Need To Know

  • The OC Fair runs from Friday through Aug. 14 and is located at 88 Fair Dr. in Costa Mesa, Calif.

  • Tickets are $12 Wednesday and Thursday, and $14 Friday through Sunday, while seniors over 60 and children between 6 and 12 pay $7 

  • OC Fair hours run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday

  • The OC Fair also holds a $4 Thursday, where each food vendor offers at least one $4 item, and a list of the items can be found on the OC Fair website

Among them is the Kool-Aid Chicken sandwich, brainchild of Chicken Charlies, a mad fair-food mastermind of other beloved staples like fried Oreos, fried Twinkies and a cotton candy ice cream sandwich. The chicken breast sandwich is dressed in a cherry Kool-Aid mix for sweetness, fried for crunch and presented with royal richness alongside a retinue of pickle chips.

And for those who’ve felt eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos isn’t enough, Biggy’s offers the chance to drink them (sort of). Besides the Hot Cheetos chicken sandwich, those looking for an extra dose of heat can chase the food with a lemon-lime float topped with more crushed Hot Cheetos. But Biggy’s continues the full-court press of Hot Cheetos imaginings made real with a cheeseburger topped with — what else — Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Cool your tongue with another burger — this one topped with Cap’n Crunch cereal.

If that lulls you into a carb coma, stop by Moongoat Coffee for a vegan jolt of caffeine or gluten-free pastry.

But sometimes, choices are hard. That’s why the OC Fair is offering a $4 Taste of the Fair. Each vendor will offer a $4 dollar item every Thursday. They’re smaller servings of fair staples like corn dogs, ice cream floats, nachos, churros and deep fried Oreos, all awaiting the adventurous eater or anyone who has worked up a powerful appetite.

And, finally, as the day winds down, fair-goers can cool off with another new offering: the Blender Bar, a pick-your-own setup that offers the freedom to mix and blend your own smoothies or keep things going with margaritas. It’s found in the Culinary Arts building, where customers blend their own drinks by peddling a bicycle.

Catch it all in one place starting Friday through Aug. 14.