My team was all set and ready to go on day 1 of the 2025 Fall Festival, the 104th annual extravaganza put on by the West Side Nut Club! My team had my old pros, Crystal VanDiver and Pete Olson, as well newcomers, my niece Celeste and her mom….my sister Louise. (She was the note-taker).
Booth # 104 Alpha Sigma Alpha…..Chicago Style Hot Dog
This is an authentic Chicago-style dog and it all starts with the hot dog, which was Vienna Beef. Very tasty and the toppings were spot on!
Booth #105 Cynthia Heights PTA…..Chicken ‘n Waffle Sandwich
The waffle was outstanding, the fried chicken was also outstanding and so was the syrup and the spicy sauce was a perfect compliment to everything else. We all loved it!
Booth #106 The Cathedral….. Giant Texas Tenderloin
It was hard to go wrong with this baby! Good breading, seasoning and the tenderloin was really juicy!
Booth #107 USI Varsity Club…..Rib Eye Sandwich
“If you have a craving for steak, this is the place to go.” So says Pete Olson. The de-facto rib eye on the street!
Booth #108 It Takes A Village No-Kill Rescue…..Cajun Catfish Sandwich (wrap is available)
This catfish sandwich was delicious! Great fresh fish and wonderfully flavorful breading and the option for less carbs by having the sandwich on a wrap instead of a bun. Great choice!
Booth #109 St. Pete’s UCC…..Freeze Dried Jolly Ranchers
Yes, those are indeed Jolly Ranchers and boy do they taste like it. The texture will win you over. A definite must-try!
Booth #110 Evansville Day School…..Puppy Chow
Yes, it’s Puppy Chow! It is absolutely homemade with love and comes in 3 sizes, which are perfect for strolling along Franklin Street. It also can be frozen. Yummy!
Booth #111 Boy Scout Troop # 350…..BBQ Nachos
This is their showstopper. Great BBQ and the pickles, onions and sauce make it. You like good BBQ, check this booth out!
Booth #112 Central Band Boosters…..Freeze Dried Milk Duds
They are hoping to have their loaded potato soup again next year along with these little beauties…..freeze dried Milk Duds! Yes, they taste like Milk Duds but won’t rip out your teeth when you eat them. Perfect!
Booth #113 McCutchanville Community Church…..Strawberry Shortcake w/Ice Cream
Yes, it tastes as good as it looks! The shortcake is absolutely wonderful as is the ice cream and the strawberries. This booth is in the annex, so don’t miss it!
Booth #114 Outboard Boating Club…..Pulled Pork Parfait
This is a crowd favorite thanks to Marx BBQ! The line was insanely long, but well worth it!
Booth #119 Catalyst Church…..Raspberry Cheesecake Chimis
If you like cheesecake, raspberries in a shell that is deep fried, than this is the booth for you! Absolutely delicious!
Booth #121 Mission in Ukraine…..Varenyky (Potato Peroges)
This booth gets an honorable mention in our awards. These potato peroges are delicious and served with butter and crumbled bacon and you MUST give these a try! They are a very generous portion and comes with a sour cream/garlic dipping sauce that is wonderful but not necessary.
Booth #122 Young & Established…..Crab Rangoon Dip with Won-Ton Dipping Chips
This comes from China Bistro, but the booth puts their own twist on it by having the won-tons as dipping chips. Brilliant and delicious!
Booth #123 Faith Church…..M&M Sundae
Really delicious ice cream and chocolate sauce melds with the plain M&M for a cool and tasty treat! We really enjoyed it!
Booth #124 Howell General Baptist Church…..Pronto Pup
The batter is a homemade and secret recipe and what is not to like about a Fall Festival Pronto Pup?!
Booth #125 East Side Optimist Club…..Giant Texas Tenderloin
This is a legend on the street and with good reason, just judging by the wait time of at least an hour to scarf one of these bad boys down!
Booth #126 Building Blocks Child Care…..Dubai Chocolate Covered Strawberries w/Kafti
Okay, this enormous syringe of Dubai Chocolate is not an illusion, you actually get that much and can keep the syringe! The crunchy pistachio “Khafti” really makes this as does the marriage of the chocolate, strawberries and the khafti! This is an award winner!
Booth #127 West Terrace PTA…..Orange Fanta “Dirty Soda”
This is a new item this year and it is very refreshing and delicious. Fanta Orange soda (YUM) with creamy ice cream. Stir it up and relive your childhood with an orange dreamsicle!
Booth #128 Community of Christ…..Cheesy Pig Stick
Unfortunately, this is the last year for this booth. So if you want this yummy breaded mozzarella cheese wrapped in bacon, breaded and deep fried…..get yourself to this booth and enjoy!
Booth #129 Evansville Junior Football League…..Brownie Bite Sundae
This is a new item and it’s delicious! A nice chewy brownie broken into bits, on wonderful vanilla ice cream and smothered in chocolate sauce. What’s not to love?
Booth #130 The River Outreach Ministries…..Chicken Fries
Another new item this year and it doesn’t disappoint. Really tasty chicken tenders with a wonderful, homemade breading that is deep fried and served with several different dipping sauces. Yummy!
Booth #131 Hadi Arab Patrol…..Loaded Fries
These bad-boys come loaded with crispy fries, ground beef, bacon, nacho cheese, jalapeno peppers and onions!! A very generous portion and definitely enough to share and worth it! They also sell their famous Rib Eye Steak Sandwich!
Booth #132 Germania Mannerchor (Brand New Trailer!)…..Kraut Balls
The world-famous Kraut Balls are of course available at their brand-new and beautiful trailer, but they also have a new item this year, which is a sausage burger. It’s different than the Corpus Christi Chuck Wagon burger. A very flavorful sausage patty with a bit of a spicy kick! A definite must-try!
Booth #134 Tekoppel Elementary…..Arnold Palmer Slushie
Half ice-tea and half-lemonade, the drink made famous by the amazing legendary golfer Arnold Palmer. A tasty, refreshing treat that will be sure to please everyone! They also offer their famous fruit salsa which is wonderful!
Booth #135 Youth Resources of Southern Indiana…..Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow
It’s a delicious twist on the traditional Puppy Chow and we all thought it was wonderful!
Booth #136 Evansville Rescue Mission…..Pizza Mac
This is a new item this year and it is fantastic! So fantastic in fact, our Pete Olson ate the entire thing and on the last booth when we were all so full we were ready to burst! This is also an award winner which will be revealed and the blog updated!
Enjoy eating your way up and down Franklin Street at the 104th Annual West Side Nut Club’s Fall Festival and don’t forget to catch DJB and I on Saturday night at we are all set to call the Main Parade again this year. Oh…..and buy your Half Pot tickets!
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