BACON FEST
All the sizzling facts you need to know about the downtown Easton event
A decade ago, it started with a simple idea: Hosting a festival in downtown Easton designed to bring people together to eat bacon.
Since then, PA Bacon Fest has developed into one of the Lehigh Valley’s most popular food festivals.
“Every year, it’s continued to grow,” said Marcy McKinney, manager for special events and promotions for the Greater Easton Development Partnership. “The food brings everyone together. And you combine that with a place that’s always been a place of gathering, that’s a great combination.
PA Bacon Fest is back at Centre Square Nov. 6 and 7 — nearly normal and fully in-person. Last fall PA Bacon Fest was a smaller, ticketed event as well as a restaurant week due to restrictions on large-scale gatherings due to COVID.
Here’s what we know about the festival:
The basics
Time/location: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Easton’s Centre Square and vicinity.
How much: Admission is free but organizers are requesting a $2 donation to benefit the partnership, the Easton Farmers Market, Easton Public Market, Easton Ambassadors and the Easton Main Street Initiative.
Parking
Your options include: Shuttles, which run about every 15 — 45 minutes through the height of the festival. Masks are required on the shuttles.
Shuttle #1: Bradens Airpark, Forks Township: Service from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and stopping at Northampton and North Fifth streets.
Shuttle #2: Northampton County Courthouse, Washington Street, Easton: Service from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and stopping at Fourth and Ferry streets.
Shuttle: #3: William Penn Highway Park and Ride (Emrick Blvd, Easton)
How much: $10 with proceeds benefiting FAA Chapter 70. Masks are required on shuttles.
City parking options: City of Easton Pine Street Parking Garage, South Third Street and City of Easton Intermodal Parking Garage, South Third Street (both cost $20 per car). Both garages are ADA accessible.
Pedal power: Artist-designed bike racks are available throughout downtown Easton. Remember to bring your own lock.
Downtown Easton is a ¼-mile ride from the D&L Trail. Please note: Once you leave the trail you’ll need to dismount, loop back on Route 611 West, then head north on Third Street to the festival grounds.
The Easton Public Market, 325 Northampton St., has an air pump out front near its bike rack.
Park on the street?
Don’t count on it. This is one of the most popular food events in the Valley, so plan ahead.
The menu
Of course, the food is the main draw to PA Bacon Fest. Here are the highlights of what you’ll find:
Black & Blue: Bacon wings, nachos, pasteles (baked Argentinian empanadas), bacon sweet treats; beer, bacon-infused martini, margarita, bourbon bacon and rum bacon infused cocktail.
Greek Meat Guy: Pork belly gyro, fresh cut bacon fries, bacon baklava, loaded gyro fries The Angry Chourico: The
Angry Chourico & pork belly, bacon bifana, bacon parmesan garlic fries, garlic shrimp & bacon fries
Waffl’d: Fat Elvis — vanilla waffle topped with peanut butter, banana, & bacon; spicy pig — cornbread waffle topped with hot honey and bacon
Riverside Barr & Grill: Candied bacon on a stick, hot dog wrapped in bacon on a stick, pint of bacon
Warm Sugar Bakery: Cupcakes, brownie, crumb cake, pumpkin roll, cinnamon roll, cookies, scones, croissants, all include bacon
Bull and Bear Restaurant: Bacon gyros, thick deep-fried bacon on a stick, bacon baklava, bacon ice cream
The Big Chee/Just Fudge
It: Big Chee — various grilled cheeses with bacon, tater tots, onion rings, fudge, bacon kettle corn, bourbon bacon pecans
Bucks BBQ: Candied pork belly, fresh pork rinds, pulled pork sandwich, mac & cheese
Apple Ridge Farm: Baconthemed pretzels and focaccia, mustards & garlic radish dip
Tierra de Fuego: Empanadas, pandebonos, guacamole, chips & bacon, arepa & chorizo, corn on the cob with bacon, chicken/ pork & bacon with arepa
Taylor Taco Shop: Chicken BLT taco with chipotle cream, smoked pork belly with sticky sauce + sesame slaw, bacon corn salad with avocado cream and salsa roja
Green Vida Co.: Bacon cider,
bacon jam grilled cheese, detox lemonades, ginger shots
Aman’s Artisan Indian Cuisine: Bacon tikka burger
Maxim’s 22: Pork belly and bacon biscuit (house-cured pork belly, duck fat biscuit, apple butter, bacon-dijon vinaigrette, pickled red onion, local greens); alcohol: craft beer, hot bacon-infused cider (alcohol & non-alcoholic), hard cider, bacon-infused bourbon
BAVTS Food Truck: Smoked bacon and cheddar biscuits with braised pork belly and bacon jam
Breakaway Farms: Packaged sales; 50 different kinds of bacon
Two Rivers Brewing Company: Bacon on a stick with peach bourbon glaze, bacon bahn mi sandwich, caramel apple bacon cheddar panini; Korean BBQ Boneless Pork Shank Sandwich: Korean BBQ braised pork shank on brioche roll with kicked-up sesame ginger slaw; alcohol: red/white wine, sangria, bacon old fashioned, hot or cold cider
Wow Wagon Food Truck: Burnt ends brisket burger with bacon jam, grilled shrimp tacos, pig dippers (fried slab bacon on a stick coated in funnel cake batter), squealers (boneless pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon and smoked grilled in bbq sauce)
Bake’n Bacon: Bacon sandwiches, smoked brisket
sandwiches, baked mac & cheese. variety of bacon options.
Sweet Girlz: Cupcakes, cookies muffins, parfaits, candied bacon on a stick
3rd & Ferry Fish Market: Sticky bacon boneless wings, bacon corn dog, bacon steak fries, soup; alcohol located in pigskin lounge: craft beer, hoggy Mary with an old bay rim, apple cider sangria, fall harvest mule, high noon seltzer
Stoke: Sweet and spicy slab bacon bites, bacon meatballs with spicy tomato sauce
Lou’s Concessions: Chicken bacon ranch fries, bacon cheeseburgers, burgers, bacon cheese dogs, hot dogs, bacontopped corn dogs, deep-fried pierogies, pumpkin funnel cakes, maple bourbon funnel cake
The Flying V: Classic poutine, bacon poutine, (American or Canadian bacon), maple bacon poutine, chicken bacon ranch poutine, buffalo bacon poutine
Pearly Baker’s: Alcohol — craft beer, bacon-infused bourbon & hot cider, bacon bloody mary, harvest sangria
The Bayou Easton: Peanut butter bacon beignet, chicken bacon ranch cheesesteak, apple smoked bacon mac & cheese with crispy pig skin; alcohol: hurricanes, blue bayous, bacon hot toddy, craft beer
Sette Luna: Pork belly, maple bacon cannoli (crispy bacon shell, maple mascarpone filling, vanilla cream drizzle, topped with chopped bacon), Bacon Fries (fresh-cut fries, bacon aioli, chopped bacon, smoked salt); alcohol: beer, bloody mary, hot bacon cider, bacon-infused bourbon shots
Porters’ Pub: Bacon chili, bacon donut, bacon meatloaf sandwich, bacon cheddar pierogies; alcohol: craft beer, smoked garlic bacon bloody mary, bourbon & bacon, mules, Irish coffee
Barry’s Buns: Bacon buns, bacon waffles, bacon hot chocolate, mini bun cup, bacon cookie sandwich
While you’re enjoying the food, you can also check out local retail vendors selling everything from soy candles to dog treats.
More to sink your teeth into
If that’s not enough, check out:
Bacon & Brew: You can sample six craft beers paired with six kinds of bacon from Breakaway Farms and beer by Weyerbacher Brewing. There is a VIP tasting hour, which will run 11 a.m. to noon both days. After noon, Bacon & Brew will host walk-ups. How much: $25. The VIP ticket includes a 2021 Bacon Fest pub glass. Info: pabaconfestbaconandbrew2021.eventbrite.com
Culinary events Saturday
11 a.m. — Cheek to Cheek Challenge: Local chefs will compete in a contest showcasing the whole hog. The twist: Audience members will throw darts at a board to determine parts the chefs use! Hit the ‘bacon bull’s eye’ and you’ll get to sample their creations.
2 p.m. — All Shook Up: The Bacon, Banana and Peanut Butter Sandwich Showdown: Don’t miss this zany Sandwich Showdown with an Elvis impersonator and lots of rockin’ tunes. Selfies with Elvis, Elvis Trivia, and great prizes for the audience including jars of Cape May Peanut Butter Co. peanut butter. Plus three lucky audience members will be selected to serve as judges.
Sunday
11 a.m. — The Big Ten: 10 Sizzling Bacon-Wrapped Tailgating Snacks: Chef Matthew Feeser of Breakaway Farms and Chef Ada Chandler show you how to score big at your next game day party. Two audience members will have the chance to be sous chefs. Fun football trivia and great audience giveaways too.
2 p.m. — Bacon Battle: Three top Lehigh Valley chefs will display their culinary chops as they vie for the 2021 Baconator title. Cheer them on as they cook their way through a mystery bag of challenging ingredients from the Easton Farmers’ Market — including a pound of pasture-raised bacon from Breakaway Farms. There will be culinary trivia and prizes for the audience, and one audience member will be selected to serve as a guest judge.
Music and other fun
Bacon Fest will have four areas of fun events and live music. Some of the highlights include:
Bacon-eating contest: Noon to 12:30 p.m. both days. (Winner takes home a bacon trophy)
Grins & Grins Family Comedy Show: 12:45 to 1:15 p.m. both days
Mascot Dash: 2:30 p.m. both days
Costume contest: 1:30 to 2 p.m. both days (adult, child, dog)
Hog calling contest: 2 to 2:30 p.m. (adult and child)
School of Rock: 2:45 to 5 p.m. both days
In addition, the festival will offer bungee jumping; pig and wiener dog races, a rocking climbing wall and more.