Baconfest Chicago 2013 – Exhibition Schedule Announced : Baconfest Chicago

Baconfest Chicago 2013 – Exhibition Schedule Announced

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Greetings Bacon Nation,

As April 20th steadily approaches, we at Baconfest Chicago HQ are pleased to share additional details regarding the exhibition roster, ticket sales, and our beverage partners!

First things first:

General Admission tickets ($100 plus ticketing fees) will be on sale February 20 at 12:00pm CST. Bacon-lovers can buy tickets at our Eventbrite ticketing page: http://baconfestchicago2013.eventbrite.com

Mark the date and time and BE READY. In past years, general admission tickets have sold out lightning fast. Historical fact.

Like last year, there are two exhibition sessions (Lunch from 12:30pm to 3:00pm and Dinner from 6:30pm to 9:00pm).

Ticket-holders get access to our bacon wonderland during the session they choose. They’ll also receive a reusable Baconfest shopping bag (sure to be an object of envy at every farmer’s market) and the karmic satisfaction of knowing that a portion of ticket proceeds goes to support the good work of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Last year we raised over $50,000 for the GCFD.

Each session will feature:

1. Over 60 restaurants/chefs who will be sharing their bacon-creations with our guests. Our current roster boasts 64 restaurants per shift – up from 54 per shift in 2012. Guests can sample creative bacon-dishes from our all-star lineup of Chicago chefs (more on them below).

2. A curated selection of bacon Experience Partners, local entrepreneurs and national brands who provide a unique take on bacon for our guests. Our evolving roster of Experience Partners includes: Fortune Gourmet, Big Fork Bacon Sausage, Four Eyes Handmade (crafter of bacon pillows among other things), Mozo Shoes (makers of bacon-themed chef clogs) and Cabot Cheese.

3. News Flash: Bacon can make us thirsty! Every ticketed guest receives seven drink tickets to exchange for ingenious bacon-cocktails, wine and beer.

Our roster of Beverage Partners is growing! This year’s line up:

Templeton Rye Whiskey – Last year’s “Rusty Doorhinge” was a hit, so TR is back for more!
The Fifty/50 – returning to present their “Wobble Stopper“, the official Bloody Mary of Baconfest Chicago .
Bakon Vodka – returning with The Drum and Monkey to craft even more delicious bacon-y cocktails that were such a hit in 2012!
Candid Wines – This local organic wine distributor returns with Tenuta Santomé, the official bubbles of Baconfest Chicago as well as a selection of other wines.
We’ll have cocktails from Mike Ryan of Sable Kitchen & Lounge and from Stephen Cole of Barrelhouse Flat
Smeraldina will be back with mineral water to satisfy the most powerful bacon thirst (no drink ticket required!)

We’ll also have an assortment of delicious frosty beers for guests to enjoy, including:

Goose Island
Old Style
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Greenbush Brewing Company
Lagunitas Brewing Company (new for 2013)
Labatt Blue (new for 2013)

Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats is back as our Bacon Sponsor, yes! Last year, they provide 4,257 pounds of bacon for chefs to use in their dishes. Look for even more Nueske’s bacon in 2013. Viva la Nueske’s! Their bacon is awesome and their support makes this event possible even in these times of a rumored global bacon shortage. Google+ Local will be on site as well to help attendees connect with participating restaurants and share their love of bacon online. Please read about all of our awesome sponsors here: http://baconfestchicago.com/chicago-sponsors

Today we are most pleased to release the shift breakdown for our participating restaurants. We’d be lying if we said we weren’t proud of how BFC has blossomed since its humble beginning in 2009. This year, more than 120 chefs and restaurants will come together to exhibit the bacon-creation of their choice.

Chicago’s largest Bacon-centric celebration would not be possible without the generous support of our amazing chef and restaurant partners. Each and every one of them has chosen to donate time, talent and resources to this glorious bacon celebration. They join the party inspired by a love of bacon, a desire to share that love, and in support of and solidarity with our long-standing charity partner The Greater Chicago Food Depository one of the nation’s greatest anti-hunger organizations.

Without further ado, here is the Exhibition Schedule for Baconfest Chicago 2013!

Know them and love them as we do!

LUNCH Session: VIP Hour – 11:30am-12:30pm, General Admission – 12:30pm-3pm

DINNER Session: VIP Hour – 5:30pm-6:30pm, General Admission – 6:30pm-9pm

The line-ups are subject to change, but we don’t expect much fluctuation.

About Baconfest:

Baconfest Chicago holds its fifth tasting event on April 20, 2013 at the UIC Forum (725 West Roosevelt). Tickets give guests access to a bacon-wonderland where the city’s best chefs hand out amazing creative bacon snacks. Luxury brands, artisan bacon-makers, and bacontrepreneurs display, sample, and sell a multitude of bacon products. The best mixologists and brewers hand out bacon-inspired cocktails, beer and wine. To celebrate special achievement in the bacon arts, Baconfest gives out Golden Rasher Awards (the Oscars of the bacon world).

Best of all, Baconfest is good for America. In addition to hosting a food drive and raffle at the event, Baconfest Chicago donates a portion of proceeds from ticket sales to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Since 2009, Baconfest has given over $85,000 to Chicago’s food bank, which translates into 150,000 pounds of food for hungry people in the area.

Buy tickets: http://baconfestchicago.com/chicago-tickets
Read about exhibiting restaurants: http://baconfestchicago.com/chicago-chefs
Read about our sponsors: http://baconfestchicago.com/chicago-sponsors
Read about past events: http://baconfestchicago.com/chicago-past-events
See (and use!) photos of past events: http://baconfestchicago.com/photos