Bacon-wrapped ribs, candied bacon butter pecan ice cream, maple bacon glazed doughnuts, oh my! If you’re addicted to the pork product, it all sounds quite tasty, right? Bacon lovers, rejoice! The Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, held in Des Moines, Iowa, for 8 years, rolls into town for the first time Nov. 14 at Rain nightclub at Palms.
“A few years back,” said co-founder Marshall Porter, “We decided to celebrate the 7-year tenure with a Vegas theme. We called it Viva Las Bacon and so many people came dressed like Elvis. It was fun to have a bacon event in a pretend Vegas but then we thought, ‘What about actually doing this in Vegas?’ Through connections in Iowa and lots of people in Vegas, all of a sudden this little dream actually happened.”
Festivalgoers get a lot of perks, such as a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Berkwood Farms bacon. VIP packages are available, too. “We have the opportunity for folks to have their own private VIP area during the event,” said Porter. A bacon cabana at the pool and bacon skybox offer dedicated seating and expedited cocktail service.
Highlights include an Elvis costume contest, a whisky and cigar bar and a bacon-themed wedding. “We’ve had couples who reached out to us hoping to get married and we’re going to narrow it down to one,” said Porter. “... doing the wedding is the United Church of Bacon. They’re professionals when it comes to bacon weddings.”
The Extreme Bacon Bite Challenge is another feature. “The event in Las Vegas is different than any other event we have done,” said the festival’s other co-founder, Brooks Reynolds. “There are a lot of great chefs in the Las Vegas area, so we decided to have them create savory bacon bites and sweet bacon bites for attendees to try.”
Contestants include Yardbird Southern Table & Bar’s Melvin Johnson and Hard Rock Hotel’s head chef Marcus O’Brien. Plus, food trucks like Blondie’s Bacon Truck and Bacon Boys Truck. Chicago-based Big Fork Brands and Kansas, Mo.-based BBQ Addicts, known for bacon-wrapped, bacon-stuffed barbecue sausage, make an appearance also.
Palms, 6 p.m. Nov. 14, starting at $50 plus tax and fee, VIP packages available, 21+. blueribbonbaconfestival.com
