Sold-out BaconFest celebrates the “gateway meat” on Saturday, Aug. 31

BaconFest sold out weeks in advance, but if you’re curious about the celebration, here are the details from the press release”

WHAT:
BaconFest Asheville, a first-time festival showcasing unique pork and bacon creations. This sold-out event will bring together about 900 bacon-lovers of all ages with area chefs and specialty food producers who will enter dishes, both sweet and savory, to compete for “Best Overall Dish or Top Hog” plus “The Most Outrageous Use of Bacon/Pork” and “Best Bacon.” Winners will be determined by the voting of festival attendees.

WHEN:
Saturday, Aug. 31, 1-4 p.m.

WHERE:
Highland Brewing Company Outdoor Meadow, located at 12 Old Charlotte Hwy., Asheville.

WHO:
The festival is a project of 105.9 The Mountain (WTMT) in partnership with Highland Brewing Company, which is brewing a special bacon-infused version of their classic Black Mocha Stout just for the occasion. Blue Ridge Food Ventures, a nonprofit agribusiness job-creation program of AdvantageWest, will receive proceeds from the event. The Sons of Ralph will perform and lead a “pig pickin’” with local musicians. A list of participating restaurants is below.

WHY:
This inaugural celebration of swine sold out weeks ahead of the event. Is that because the “gateway meat” is simply too delicious to pass up – whether served in a sizzling, savory snack or as the surprise ingredient in sweet treats like gelato and doughnuts? Or is it because area festival-goers are always hungry to pig out – and with the cancellation of the LAAFF festival (a Labor Day weekend tradition), here’s a new, lip-smackin’ way to go hog wild? Whatever the case, the afternoon is sure to be the first of an annual, must-taste tradition.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVENT:
Schedule:
1:30-2pm: Sons of Ralph perform
2:30-3:15pm: “Pig Pickin’” featuring local musicians backed up by Sons of Ralph
3:30pm: Ballots will be collected from festival attendees
3:45pm: Announcement of winners

Participating Restaurants/Food Vendors:
Ambrozia Bar & Bistro, Blue Ridge Food Ventures, Café Azalea, Cakes by Jane, Cecilia’s Kitchen, Chophouse, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Earthfare, Hickory Nut Gap Farm Meats, Hillbilly Cotton Candy, Lexington Avenue Brewery, Little Pigs BarBQue, Moe’s Original BarBQue, The Southern Kitchen & Bar, Sugar & Snow Gelato, Sunny Point Café, Vincenzo’s Restorante & Bistro, Vortex Doughnuts, Zia Taqueria.

Other vendors:
BluBus Screenprinting, New Morning Gallery, Proformance Vitamin Hydration, Summit CrossFit, and Tech Suavvy

SHARE

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.