While the Carbon County Fair is the perfect occasion for thrill seekers, animal lovers and music junkies, it's sure to please those who arrive on an empty stomach.

No matter what your palate prefers, whether it's barbecue, corn on the cob, tacos, or caramel apples, there's plenty to choose from at the fair thisyear.One staple that most fairgoers seem to love, or at least for Charlie and Cassie Wallace of Jim Thorpe, is the funnel cake."Funnel cake and lemonade is a must," Cassie said. "And a sausage sandwich. Every year, we come for the same thing."Anywhere you go throughout the fairgrounds, you can be sure to see people young and old, munching on goodies from the countless vendors.Dale "Peanut" Greenzweig Jr. of Dale's Concessions said that french fries are a crowd-pleaser at his stand.Becky Neumoyer, a worker at Dale's Concessions, said the fries are her personal favorite, and she even helped cut the potatoes for the stand's fresh cut fries.Neumoyer said, "We usually have long lines. The blooming onion and chicken are really good as well."New this year at Dale's, in addition to the fried goodness he's offered for years, are fried peanut butter cups.When it comes to dessert, you really can't go wrong, from warm and toasty fried oreos to light and creamy soft ice cream.One sweet treat that may have you intrigued, however, is the elephant ear.Its thick, chewy, pastrylike texture is like no other, topped with your choice of cinnamon and sugar, apple, blueberry or pudding.You can even transform it to a savory dish, rather than sweet, by topping it with cheesy garlic or marinara.Its size is pretty hefty, too, but sharing is optional.For Alyssa Myers of Lehighton, elephant ears sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar are her favorite food at the fair.Her friend, Haley Fritz, also of Lehighton, prefers Uncle Paul's soft pretzels.If your mouth isn't watering yet, just ask Deanna Wentz of Lehighton, along with her tiny fairgoers, Brynn Wentz, Ashton Wentz and Dawson Keiser, what's on the menu: pizza, gyros and soft pretzels.Picky eater or not, it'll be hard to choose among the vendors lined up at the 15th annual Carbon County Fair.The fair continues to operate this week from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, and from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday.