DAVENPORT, Iowa — The Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds is looking a little less empty this week, as two fair food booths are bringing summer classics back to the Quad Cities.
This comes as county and state fairs were cancelled this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Corn dogs, funnel cakes, lemon shake ups, nachos and more are being sold every day through Saturday, August 29th.
McKinney Food Services is one of the booths there now, and is a longtime stand at the fair every year. Now, in 2020, owner Alan McKinney says they've had to think on their feet, bringing their booths up north this summer for a scaled-back version of what they normally do.
"People have been coming out of the woodwork," McKinney says. "We didn't realize until we`re not having fairs how much people still really love coming out and supporting their local fairs and state fairs."
Even though they're making less money now, their expenses and rent is generally lower so they're still making it work, just to see the look on customers' faces.
"It's so exiting because the thrill on their faces, you can even see it behind the mask their eyebrows come up here because they're excited," McKinney says.
Patricia Dywiak and her family came out during the blazing heat for some treatsm and they're happy the booths arrived. She says it's more than just missing these snacks -- it's about keeping up a summer tradition and supporting the families behind the glass serving up fair food.
"This is their livelihood, and this what they feed their families on every year and they're (our) friends," she says.
Both the McKinney and Westmoreland fair food booths will be open at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in front of the Grandstand on Wednesday and Thursday from 11 A.M. to 8 P.M.
On Friday and Saturday, their hours are from 10 A.M. to Close.