Ticket info and more details on this year's Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival hit today. Tickets to the Feb. 27 event at the Scottish Rite Consistory went on sale at noon and sold out in less than half an hour.
"I thought it would be tomorrow, maybe the end of the weekend," evert co-organizer Brooks Reynolds said. "We're kind of in shock. We are regrouping this weekend to see if there are any other options for us to accomodate the demand."
Last year more than 300 people crowded into the High Life Lounge and consumed nearly 600 pounds of bacon. This year's larger venue allows for a crowd of about 600, and there will be 1,050 pounds of nature's most perfect food ready to be consumed.
The $35 ticket includes a T-shirt, koozie, a menu of seven bacon items, unlimited bacon samples, live music, two bacon lectures and a free bacon Bloody Mary.
Jeffrey Olson, M.D., will be the honorary cardiologist.
The schedule of events:
10 a.m.: Doors open, bloody marys and first course served. Sign-in for bacon eating contest.
10:45 a.m.: Opening ceremony, National Anthem sung, bacon invocation, opening remarks and first "Ohh, bacon!" cheer.
11:15 a.m.: Live music by the Saylor Hill Sliders, "A Driving Tour of Iowa Bacon" lecture by Leo Landis, The Bacon Professor (lecture repeated at 1:15 p.m.).
11:45 a.m.: "Why Everything is So Much Better with Bacon" lecture by Jonathan A. Campbell, MS with the Iowa State Meat Laboratory (repeated at 1:45 p.m.).
Noon: Second course served.
12:30 p.m.: "Templeton Rye Whiskey — An Iowa Classic" lecture by Scott Bush, president of Templeton Rye.
1 p.m.: Parade of bacon explosions by the BBQ Addicts, creators of the bacon explosion.
2 p.m.: Fong's pizza Bacon Popper Pizza served.
2:30 p.m.: Bacon desserts served.
3 p.m.: Bacon showcase closes.
3:15 p.m.: Bacon eating contest begins.
3:45 p.m.: Bacon Festival Closing Ceremony, best t-shirt winner named.
4 p.m.: After Party begins at High Life Lounge and El Bait Shop.
