There’s always something cooking at the State Fair of Texas. For two contestants, winning ribbons is a family tradition. Noelle Walker has the story.
If there's a cooking competition at the State Fair of Texas, chances are the Rovners will be in it.
"Entering the contest pushes me to try new things," Hope Rovner said. "Just finding a love for baking and sharing my food with people has kept me in the contest for so long...and I'm competitive!"
At 26 years old, Rovner has been competing at the State Fair for 20 years, following the family tradition.
"My mom taught me everything I know," Rovner said.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Kate Rovner has been entering State Fair cooking competitions for 30 years.
"I'm the mom and she's my baby," Kate Rovner said. "I would root for her over me, absolutely!"
The mother/daughter duo don't always compete against each other, but it has happened.
State Fair Of Texas
Covering the great State Fair of Texas - Sept. 26 to Oct. 19, 2025
"Usually Mom beats me. I just have to accept that because she has several years of baking on me," Hope Rovner said. "But one time in the candy contest they said 3rd place Kate Rovner, 2nd place beating her mom, Hope Rovner! So that was super funny."
On Thursday, Hope entered 9 dishes between the Fair Concoctions and Speedy Dishes categories. Kate entered one dish.
"In the one category that I'm not in, so we're not competing directly against each other," Hope Rovner said. "I hope she wins today," Kate Rover said smiling.
To win, the entries need the secret ingredient.
"You can taste the passion. You can absolutely taste the passion of the people that come here," John Maloney, who has been judging State Fair cooking competitions for 33 years said. "These ribbons that these people here will win, it matters!"
Kate Rovner took home 2nd place for her Easy Meatball Stroganoff in the Speedy Dishes category.
Hope Rovner got 2nd place in Speedy Dishes for her Italian Cream Bark and an honorable mention for a fight and goat crostini with balsamic glaze. She also won 1st place in Fair Concoctions for her chocolate-dipped key lime pie and 2nd place for her We Be Jammin' Rolls with bacon-onion jam.
