Bourbon. Ham. Donuts. A new dish at the Kentucky State Fair has it all

Bailey Loosemore | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Here are the Kentucky State Fair free shows for 2018 Free concerts at the 2018 Kentucky State Fair

Sivori Catering will unveil two new items at the 2018 Kentucky State Fair.

One dish is a bourbon donut burger with country ham.

The Kentucky State Fair runs Aug. 16-26.

Brace your arteries, if you can. Because starting next week, Sivori Catering will be back at the 2018 Kentucky State Fair with its latest calorific creations.

This year's star attraction: The Big Clifty Bourbon Donut Burger — a beefy behemoth that's topped with a slice of country ham, a maple bourbon glaze and two doughnut buns.

Owner Larry Sivori said his company has been serving doughnut burgers at the fair for nearly 10 years. Originally, he thought people would eventually grow out of them. But the dish has persisted.

"It's probably one of the most popular items on the fairground," Sivori said. "I figured it would be a fad, but it actually grows every year. People come back every year for it."

Related: Everything you need to know about the 2018 Kentucky State Fair

The new burger incorporates regional products such as Clifty Farm ham and Rabbit Hole bourbon.

"I just wanted a product that was Kentucky," Sivori said of creating it. "I figured country ham was pretty Kentucky, and the bourbon is definitely Kentucky. It's all pretty much Kentucky Proud products, too."

The Big Clifty will be available at the Sivori Donut Burgers stand near the Harold Workman North Wing Lobby, along with the company's Philly Cheesesteak doughnut burger and a bourbon doughnut burger minus the ham for the duration of the Kentucky State Fair.

The burger stand is one of nine Sivori locations that will be set up at the fair this year, Sivori said, including a tater tot stand near Freedom Hall that will carry the company's second new item — poutine.

More: Free concerts you don't want to miss during the Kentucky Derby Festival

Poutine is a Canadian dish that typically consists of french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. It's recently appeared on menus at restaurants like Crescent Hill Craft House, Red Herring and Whiskey Dry, and Sivori said it's become popular enough that he'd give it a shot.

Sivori's poutine replaces fries with tater tots, but keeps with tradition by smothering the creation with brown gravy, and topping it with Wisconsin cheese curds, diced green onions, and tomatoes. Fair-goers can also choose their own toppings to craft the ultimate poutine basket with items such as Ranch dressing, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, bacon and banana peppers.

The poutine and Big Clifty burger will be available starting Thursday, Aug. 16. The Kentucky State Fair runs through Sunday, Aug. 26.

Bailey Loosemore: 502-582-4646; bloosemore@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @bloosemore. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/baileyl.

KENTUCKY STATE FAIR 2018

Ticket prices

Advance admission is $7 per person now through Aug. 15 online and at the Kentucky Exposition Center box office. Admission tickets will also be sold at participating Kroger locations now through Aug. 15.

During the fair, admission tickets will be available for $8 online only.

Admission tickets at the gate are $10 per person. Children 5 and under get in free.

Hours of operation

Sunday through Thursday — Gates open at 7 a.m. Exhibit halls are open from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.. Thrill Ville rides close at midnight.

Friday and Saturday — Gates open at 7 a.m. Exhibit halls are open from 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. Thrill Ville rides close at midnight.

Where to park

Advance parking is $5 per vehicle now through Aug. 15 online and at the Exposition Center box office. Parking tickets will also be sold at participating Kroger locations now through Aug. 15.

During the fair, parking tickets will be available online only for $8.

Parking is $10 per vehicle at the gate.

Bike racks are located at every gate.

Special State Fair promotion days

Thursday, Aug. 16 — County Fair Days

Friday, Aug. 17— Alumni Day. This day is also Courier Journal Day and we will have a booth!

Saturday, Aug. 18 — 811 Day sponsored by Marathon Pipe Line

Sunday, Aug.19 — Military Sunday Salute. Free admission is available for military members, veterans and their families (up to four people). Parking not included. More details can be found at www.govx.com.

Tuesday, Aug. 21 — Senior Day sponsored by Hosparus Health. All seniors 55 and over receive free gate admission. Parking not included.

Thursday, Aug. 23 — Carload Day and Kentucky Farm Bureau Day. $20 per vehicle, $100 for vehicles with 12+ passengers. Parking included.

Free concert series lineup

All the concerts in the Texas Roadhouse Concert Series are free with paid admission to the Kentucky State Fair. All concerts begin at 8 p.m. except for Sunday, Aug. 26 which begins at 4 p.m. Gates open 1.5 hours prior to concert start time.

The concerts are held in Lot L and gates open at 6:30 pm. Seating is first come, first served and accessible seating is available. Check out the concert schedule here.

Also, don't miss Bluegrass Village, which highlights local craft breweries, bourbon distilleries and local food. Adjacent to Kentucky Kingdom, Bluegrass Village is the entrance to the new concert area for the Texas Roadhouse Concert Series at the Kentucky State Fair.

More info: Visit kystatefair.org.