What is Baconfest Chicago?

Baconfest Chicago is a full day celebration of bacon: a Fest to end all Fests. Baconfest’s roster of bacon-inspired activities, bacon-foods, and bacon-spirits comprise the greatest single culinary and cultural festival ever dedicated to Bacon and Bacon only.

We estimate that one thousand bacon aficionados will visit the Fest, housed in a converted vintage Masonic Hall in Chicago’s historic Logan Square district.

At the Bacon Expo, they’ll meet artisan bacon-makers and bacontrepreneurs and sample a wide spectrum of local craft bacons and bacon-related products.

In the Bacon Café, Bar & Cocktail Lounge, local restaurants will serve bacon-based snacks; local bakeries will concoct bacon-sweets; local bars will serve up bacon cocktails and refreshing beer.

Meanwhile, on-stage, local artists, poets, musicians and theater-makers will join with bacon experts from all around the region during the Bacon Cultural Explosion.

The highlight of the event: the Golden Rashers, the Oscars of the bacon world, presented to the winners of the Pro & Amateur Bacon Cook-offs, as well as a bevy of other prize categories.

When is Baconfest Chicago?

April 10, 2010

I thought it was in October???

Please see this link.

What about the VIP Pro Bacon Cook-Off at the Publican? When’s that?

October 24, 2009.

Is this an April Fools Joke?

No.

Where is Baconfest Chicago?

In the Stan Mansion in Logan Square, Chicago.

Who is behind Baconfest?

Baconfest Chicago is the brainchild of the Baconfest Triumvirate: Michael Griggs, Andre Pluess and Seth Zurer. See our Bios for more detail.

I saw the Bios: all they talk about is your first bacon memories. Do you guys have any qualifications to run Baconfest aside from an unsavory obsession with America’s favorite cured pork product?

Well. Yes. We have a deep network of contacts in the Chicago food world, and the passion to make Baconfest a reality.

Why Baconfest?

Please read our Manifesto. Also, seriously? You’re asking why about something called Baconfest? I think you know the answer to that question.

I don’t live in Chicago. Is there a Baconfest in my city?

There may be. Baconfest Chicago 2009 is not the only Baconfest in the world. Since we started our planning, we’ve found an unofficial network of baconfests that have existed for decades. We’re not even the first Baconfest in Chicago – last year, the people at Risque apparently threw a Baconfest. There is a Bacon Fest in Des Moines, Atlanta and Smithfield, UT. A related category of event, called BaconCamp, has been held in San Francisco and future baconcamps are planned for Vancouver, Seattle and Miami. Scratch the surface and you’ll see that Baconfest is part of a global bacon community. Join up!

Um, I’m Jewish.

Excellent question. We think our Facebook friend Paul Libman had some deep insight into Baconfest when he posted this Haiku to our group:

Bacon seduces
all that is Jewish in me.
Mom rolls in her grave.

The Midrash explains the relationship between Baconfest and Judaism when it discusses the role of the Apikoros – or heretic. Derived from the Greek epicurus (as in Epicurean!), in Jewish culture the Apikoros is anyone who has broken away from the Rabbinate; or more generally, someone who has abandoned the specific adherence to the strict rules that govern observant Jewish life in favor of a “rational”, critical approach to life. Since medieval times, the Apikoros has been valued and feared for the critical distance and skepticism about dogma that he/she brings to study of Jewish identity.

We at Baconfest are skeptical about sumptuary laws, whether they are the rules of Kashrut, the practices of Halal, the municipal ban on Foie gras or the modern habits of the ovo-lacto-vegetarian. We respect the deliciousness that can come from imposing narrow restrictions on one’s dietary habits, but choose to apply only those restrictions that serve our vision for a happy and fulfilled life. Does that make us hedonists? Yes. I think it does.

That said, perhaps you will enjoy the tee-shirts or photography contest.

How much will it cost?

See the ticket tab on the main menu page.  $45 (plus service and handling) includes 12 courses from some of Chicago’s best chefs, plus samples and access to purchase merchandise from a variety of Bacon-vendors at the Bacon-Expo, plus a gift bag filed with bacon goodies, plus a souvenir Baconfest Chicago’s Guide to Bacon publication.  (Plus “some Beverages”***** more detail on this to follow. Soon.)

How can I help Baconfest?

You can:

- Spread the word. Blog about us. Tweet about us. Put us in your status updates. Make our logo the background for your desktop. Talk about us to the national food press. Write articles about us in your magazine / newspaper / newsletter.

- Send us your suggestions – we’re looking for chefs, bacon-makers and creative bacon entrepreneurs to include in Baconfest.