RICHMOND--Walk by most food booths at the State Fair of Virginia in Richmond, which runs through Sunday, and you'll see brightly painted kiosks touting treats like corn dogs, funnel cakes or--arteries beware!--fried Snickers bars.

They're appealing to fair-goers, who check their diets at the gates for this once-a-year soiree with its stimulating smells of deep-frying dough, sizzling onions and peppers or shoulders of rich meat steamed overnight.

Only at the "Little Richard's" booths will you find an actual warning about the calorie and fat content of goods that range from pit-cooked barbecue to--Booyaah!--fried Oreos.

"People are suing everyone for everything, so I decided to put a warning right on the window of my booths," said Richard Thomas, tugging on a cigar the size of Cleveland.

The food entrepreneur, who has been in the fair and festival food business for nearly 50 years, wasn't kidding.

It was at his "Little Richard's" booth where I had my first fried Oreo Friday, an oil-fried bomb of batter-coated cookie topped with powdered sugar and slathered with chocolate syrup.

Right there on the window where I ordered was the notice: "Warning: Eating Little Richard's food may lead to weight gain, though it tastes oh-so good!"

Coming soon, Thomas whispered: "Fried Twinkies. The cream in the middle tastes really good once they're heated up."

Thomas was one of several concession owners I chatted with about the nature of fair food.

They all agreed that while the nation has turned to health food in a big way, even at fast-food outlets, that isn't what visitors at the State Fair are looking for.

"This is one day when they leave the diets behind and splurge," said Frank O'Rurke, whose family has been running Mary's Concessions for more than 50 years out of Rochester, N.Y.

Stop by the booth run by the O'Rurke family and you'll find Weight Watchers no-no's like Italian sausage sandwiches smothered in fried peppers and onions, cheese fries and Philly cheese steaks the size of footballs.