Visions of deep-fried Pop Tarts, mac and cheese pizza and moowiches dance in his head. Welcome to the life of James Radke, the Calgary Stampede’s Midway Operations manager who brings in the annual Stampede’s best and wackiest foods.

Radke and the Midway department are responsible for creating the Midway area each Stampede and that means bringing in food and beverage vendors to create Stampede favorites like mini doughnuts and deep-fried Oreo cookies. The team also looks for exciting new items such as the, new for 2011, doughnut burger and pork chop-on-a-stick.

“We have a lot of fun finding new foods each year,” says Radke. “Sometimes the vendors come up with new ideas and other times the Stampede approaches vendors with an idea.” One of the new menu items Stampede guests can try this year is the turkeytini which was inspired by a cocktail party appetizer Radke had sampled. Read all about the new foods on the Stampede blog.

Each year, the Stampede awards the best new food vendor. Be sure to come down to Stampede Park on Sneak-a-Peek evening, Thursday, July 7, and watch as vendors with new foods present their dishes in front of four celebrity judges. The judges will then determine who has the 2011 Stampede’s best new offering.

Last year, the pulled pork parfait was the winner featuring mashed potatoes, gravy and savory pork presented to resemble an ice cream parfait.

On average there are 130 food and beverage vendors on Stampede Park during the 10-day Stampede. This year, 19 new vendors will be offering up a variety of dishes.

The vendors application process begins in November. The Stampede sorts through the applications, checks references and determines what foods are required for the upcoming Stampede. A large component of choosing vendors is their ability to accommodate the Stampede’s large crowds. “A typical vendor is exposed to about 120,000 people a day,” explains Radke. “They need to be quick and offer an outstanding product.”

The approved vendors are then placed strategically around the Park as Radke and his team plan how the Midway will take shape. “It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. We make sure to place a variety of vendors around the Park so no matter where a guest is, they have a range of food and beverage options.”

And what is the man who has been thinking about Stampede food for months most excited about sampling this year?

Radke pauses and then smiles, “All of it, but definitely the kubi korn balls.”

Find out the latest about the 2011 Calgary Stampede by becoming a Stampede Insider.