Lumpia City Sweeps Sporkie Contest
A twist on Philippine favorite was first in food category, while Purple Rain Refresher was best beverage at State Fair competition.
2025 Sporkies and Drinkies judges. Photo taken July 29, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
A Filipino-inspired dessert took top honors at this year’s Sporkies competition, winning over judges at the Wisconsin State Fair with an unexpected twist on traditional lumpia.
Ube Butter Banana French Toast Lumpia, created by second-time Sporkies finalist Lumpia City, features a brown sugar-coated banana, a strip of French toast and a pool of deep-purple ube butter—all wrapped like a spring roll and deep-fried.
“It seems like this is a good one, because everybody’s gone quiet,” emcee Dario Melendez quipped, as the usually chatty panel dove into the dish. “There’s no chatter, there’s no laughing, just focus.”
Though the dessert is anchored in authenticity—banana lumpia, or turon, is a popular snack in Filipino and Hawaiian cultures—co-owner Alexa Reyes saw an opportunity to further elevate the recipe with ube.
“We wanted to add another Filipino flavor to it, so we did ube,” Reyes said, noting that the spread includes mashed purple yam, sugar and milk.
Judges awarded the lumpia top marks, praising its texture, presentation and balance.
“This hits all the high notes for all the right reasons,” said Wes Shaver, president and CEO of Milwaukee Pride, Inc., who served on a six-person panel alongside Diana Gutiérrez of WISN 12, Angela Mallett of HoneyBee Sage Wellness & Apothecary, Paul Bartolotta of The Bartolotta Restaurants, Rebecca Berkshire of Lowlands Group and food influencer Dominic Dean.
“This is absolutely delicious,” Bartolotta said. “It’s crispy, it’s sweet—but not too sweet. It’s special.”
Gutiérrez and Berkshire agreed that the strip of French toast added much-needed lightness, cutting through the rich ube and sweet banana.
“It’s all coming together like a little party in your mouth,” Mallett added.
Bananas are one of Dean’s “all-time favorite fruits,” making him an easy recruit. He also praised the dessert’s flaky exterior.
Lumpia City edged out competitors from WurstBar MKE, Milwaukee Brat House, Gertrude’s Pretzels, Badger Bites, Blue Moon Tavern at the Park, Charlie’s Pizzas and defending champion Saz’s BBQ, scoring high marks across three categories: appearance and presentation, creativity and originality and taste.
“It’s huge for us,” said Reyes, who attended the judging with co-owner Samantha Klimaszewski. “Being a really small business, it helps us get more attention.”
The win represents more than bragging rights, as victors can expect a revenue boost between $100,000 and $150,000, according to Melendez.
“The publicity is amazing,” said Lora Schaller, owner of Gertrude’s Pretzels. “The craze for Sporkies is like nothing you’ve ever seen.”
The eight finalists, announced in June, were selected from a pool of more than 30 entries.
Drinkies
On the beverage side, first-time Drinkies contestant Rock and Roll Beer Garden stole the show with its interactive Purple Rain Refresher, which incorporated both edible glitter and Pop Rocks candy.
“I feel like this is the perfect drink for the State Fair,” Gutiérrez said. “It’s pretty, it’s light … I can already see this being an Instagram staple.”
Along with its flashy garnishes, the drink includes Concord grape juice, lemonade and grapefruit soda. It can also be spiked with vodka, for those 21 and older.
“Whether it’s a grownup or a kid, when you put the stuff in, it’s fun, it’s whimsical, it’s pretty—it’s something I could see drinking three of in an afternoon,” Bartolotta said.
The drinkies competition, now in its third year, is a newer addition to the annual Sporkies event. This year’s four finalists, selected from 17 total submissions, also included Buzzy Badger, Tropics at the Fair and Caribbean Smoothees.
Now in its 12th year, the Sporkies and Drinkies competition aims to highlight the fair’s most innovative new offerings. “Yes, this is fun, this is jokey, this is State Fair,” said Melendez. “But this means a lot to the vendors.”
All entries will be available during the 2025 Wisconsin State Fair, with 13-foot Sporkie or Drinkie statues displayed at each of the finalist locations throughout the grounds.
A full list of finalist entries and their descriptions is available to view on the State Fair website.
The Wisconsin State fair begins Thursday, July 31 and runs for 11 days, through Sunday, Aug. 10.
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