This post is sponsored by the River Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau.
The River Falls Bacon Bash in River Falls, Wisconsin — just 35 minutes east of the Twin Cities — promises to be even more “porktacular” in 2014. This free, two-day festival runs Sept. 13-14 and celebrates all things bacon. The Bacon Bash features a plethora of bacon-inspired dishes, including bacon cheese curds, caramelized-bacon-and-bourbon ice cream, and pig wings, along with a variety of local craft beers.
The River Falls Bacon Bash offers pig-themed activities for the entire family, live music, a marketplace with a twist, and much, much more! The quirky celebration offers events including cook-offs, a pet parade, Mr. & Mrs. Bacon, plus pig calling / impersonation, sizzlin’ T-shirt / costume, and pig wing eating competitions, to name a few.
The second annual River Falls Bacon Bash has been selected as a returning official qualifying event of the World Food Championships. The winner of the Bacon Bash cook-off will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the Bacon World Championship on Nov. 12-18 and will vie with culinary craftspeople from around the world for a chance to “bring home the bacon” (i.e. a piece of the sizzlin’ $25,000 prize).
Individuals looking to compete for a year’s supply of bacon (provided by the Wisconsin Pork Association) are encouraged to enter their favorite bacon recipes in the River Falls Bacon Bash Recipe Contest through Channel3000.com, now through Sept. 4.
Novelty bacon dishes and other bacon-related items have been widely popularized on the Internet, and the average person eats approximately 18 pounds of bacon per year. According to Bacon Today, bacon festivals are gaining fans not only in the U.S. but around the world. The recent rise in bacon’s popularity can be seen by looking at ticket sales for the Des Moines Blue Ribbon Baconfest, one of the most popular bacon festivals in the U.S., where 12,000 tickets were snatched up online last year in just 42 minutes.
The 2014 River Falls Bacon Bash, following on the heels of International Bacon Day, is expected to easily attract more than the 4,000 bacon lovers who were on hand for the 2013 inaugural event. The owner of Croix Valley Foods says that last year’s River Falls Bacon Bash was the most popular and highest-grossing event he participated in, with over 1,600 pig wings sold in a day. He added that he sold more food per hour than in any other one-day festival within the state, and he looks forward to participating in the 2014 Bacon Bash.
Sponsored by the River Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, Presenting Sponsor Security Financial Bank, and Media Sponsor St. Paul Pioneer Press/TwinCities.com.
