Ok Bacon Nation,

Some brief updates:

1.  As you all know by now, Baconfest Chicago is SOLD OUT and the wait-list is closed.  Yes, we are at a venue three times the size of last year.  Yes, it still sold out in less than a minute.  Yes, we are STOKED to give you ticket holders out there the GREATEST culinary experience of your lives.  Those of you without tickets, we’ve got a few more contests coming up – and we recommend brushing up on your poem and song writing skills, as well as your home-video editing chops.

2.  The Nueske’s Amateur Cookoff Voting is getting more votes cast than some of the recent Aldermanic Elections last week.  Keep them coming.  Voting closes Friday March 4th at 1pm.  VOTE HERE

Meanwhile…

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It’s time for Contest Number 2:  The Bacon Poetry Contest.

That’s right, for the next 10 days, we’ll be accepting submissions for the BEST POEM ABOUT BACON.

What does this mean exactly?  What ever you want it to mean.  We want to read some poems about bacon, why you love it, why you just can’t get enough, why it haunts your dreams… you get the idea.

There are a million odes about love, but hardly a one about Bacon.  But to us and to many, Bacon IS love, so why so few poems out there?  Let’s fix that.  Channel your inner Chaucer friends, and let Bacon be your muse.

Email submissions to andre@baconfestchicago.com (one submission per e-mail address allowed).  Deadline:  Friday March 11th at 1pm.

The winner of this contest will get 2 tickets to Baconfest Chicago compliments of the IPPA and Baconfest Chicago.  And as if that’s not enough incentive, there will no doubt be some Bacon prizes involved – and I’m not only talking about Bacon-tshirts or lip-balm.  I’m talkin’ about actual serious quantities of gourmet Bacon.

We’re ready to have our poetic minds blown.  Send us your poems!!

NOTE:  Your poems must be made available for on-line publication at www.baconfestchicago.com – and you must grant us permission to use your poem in our forth coming publications ODES TO BACON volumes 1 and 2  (Baconfest Chicago Poetry Contests 2009-2011) to be published by … well… us. (maybe).

Here is a look at the winning entry from Baconfest Chicago 2010 written by Bridget Fallon.  (Read it with some Miles Davis in the background.  You’ll know why it won.)

Hot Streaks

It aint made out of turkey, that aint natural

Keep the poultry in the pasture lookin pastoral

It aint pounded out of tofu or dried, dyed soy

Those processed freezer strips strip away all joy

It aint Canadian-just gonna call that out

As one more thing to feel sorry for them about

Bacon is pork belly, crisp and cured

The best part of breakfast, rest assured

Not limited, however, to those uses

It’s nearly impossible to find abuses

Go with the gut-it never leads you astray

In cupcakes, in ice cream, in peanut satay

If your food’s in a rut, there’s always one sure way

To juice up your weary S-A-L-I-V-A

So we gather to glut our appetites today

With bacon, real bacon, in so many a way!

(c) 2010 Bridget Fallon