The Texas State Veggie Fair will take place on Oct. 21 at Reverchon Park. (Sidney Hollingsworth/The Daily Campus)

For those who love the action-packed games, activities and contests that come with attending a fair but are not so keen on all of the “meat-tastic” foods that are served: there is no need to fret. On Oct. 21, DallasVegan.com is hosting its third annual Texas State Veggie Fair for all of those fair-lovers who want to indulge, but would rather satisfy their taste buds with some vegan cooking.

“The State Fair of Texas’ annual fried-food awards were what inspired me to begin the Texas State Veggie Fair in the first place,” Organizer James Scott, who is also founder of DallasVegan.com said. “I knew from eating at vegan restaurants that chefs from around Texas could easily top that.”

Dallas Vegan is a nonprofit organization that was established for vegan and vegetarian consumers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Dallas Vegan strives to educate people about health, the environment and animal welfare. It also hopes to support both vegan and animal rights communities.

Aside from the vegan food, much of which is fried, the fair will also offer live music, arts, entertainment and competitions. One of the competitions this year is the 2012 Texas State Veggie Fair Vegan Fried Foods Competition.

Contestants will prepare at least five servings of their fried food item for judges to sample. Once the judges pick their favorite fried vegan treat, the winner will receive a cash prize and the acclaimed title of best “vegan fried” chef.

Last year’s competition featured unique creations such as fried risotto balls, spicy “chicken” nuggets (the chicken is replaced by seitan and cut into chicken-tender strips) and fried pina colada.

Although the fair food is vegan, do not let this fool you-it is no less greasy and deep-fried than traditional fair food. Fairgoers will still get to enjoy their favorite carnival foods in vegan-form.

This year’s fair will have more than thirty food vendors, which is almost twice the number that were present last year.

The vendors will consist primarily of local vegan restaurants, some of which are returning from previous years and others that have yet to even open.

Some of the participating restaurants include vegan favorites like Banyan Foods, Be Raw Food and Juice, MJ’s Vegan Gourmet and Zombie’s Food Truck.

This year’s vegan fried foods will include specialties like fried Reuben fritters which consists of a combination of chopped corned “beef” seitan, sauerkraut and cashew Swiss “cheese” rolled into a ball and coated in rye breadcrumbs and fried.

Also on the menu is a fried Frito chili pie, which is made with seitan, onions, tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin and paprika, dipped in a beer batter, coated with crushed corn ships and served with a side of fritos.

Other bites include the “fried” calamari which consists of mushrooms rather than squid (mushrooms are marinated and sliced into thin, squid-like ribbons, fried and dried with seaweed) and fried banana bread, which is made with fresh mashed bananas cut into bit-sized squares, supplemented with a sweet cream filling, dipped in a sweet batter, fried and topped with whipped “cream.”

Sweet treats are also abundant at the fair, such as the fried tiramisu cheesecake. This dessert is prepared by soaking handmade lady fingers in amaretto and espresso which are then rolled together with chunks of Tofutti cream cheesecake, dipped in pancake batter, deep fried and drizzled with raspberry puree.

But one of the most original dishes has to be the fried PB&J. Do not let the name fool you, his unique snack is far from a traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Rather than standing for jam as in an ordinary PB&J, the “J” in this “sandwich” stands for jalapeno. A fresh jalapeno is hollowed out and stuffed with peanut butter and mashed bananas, dipped in cornbread batter, fried and then drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Those who not only look to indulge in the food, but are also interested in getting tips on vegan cooking can attend the fair’s Chef Demo.

This year’s line up includes several notables in the vegan world. Christy Morgan, known as “The Blissful Chef,” has been in the vegan industry for years as a vegan chef, cooking instructor, food writer and cookbook author. Also scheduled for an appearance is the “Vegan Drink” master Lauren Fitzgerald who earned the title of “Iron Bartnder PDX 2011” for her beverage skills.

Fitzgerald will discuss the essential ingredients for concocting the ultimate “Vegan Drink” and will craft a few of her very own refreshments.

Also making an appearance will be the “Vegan Black Metal Chef,” best known for his black metal music and vegan cooking videos, who will present a very unique and engaging demonstration.

Those interested in entering the Texas State Veggie Fair Vegan Fried Foods Competition can fill out an application online. Entry fee for the competition is 20 dollars.

The Texas State Veggie Fair will be held on Sunday, Oct. 21 from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. at Reverchon Park in Dallas.

Admission is complimentary. For more information on fair activities visit texasstateveggiefair.com.