State organization cooks up first Bacon Fest fundraiser

Behold the power of pork. It can brighten a drab morning. It can add that extra kick to other food from shrimp to chocolate. And now it can actually help pay for college, thanks to Bacon Fest.

"What most people don't realize is the Arkansas State Fair is put on by the Arkansas Livestock Show Association," Will Hornburg, director of sales and promotions for the State Fairgrounds, explains. "We are a nonprofit organization. The State Fair is a big fundraiser to supply scholarships for the kids who are showing animals at the State Fair."

The organization awards more than $400,000 in scholarships every year but with the cost of school going up, organizations are searching for new, creative ways to bulk up their funds.

Hence Bacon Fest, the State Fairgrounds' newest festival that is a day-long salute to the pig and one of its most popular and versatile products.

"Bacon is pretty popular among people across the country so we thought, 'Why not?'" Homburg says.

The day's activities will include a kids zone with bouncy houses, face painting, character drawing and possibly pony rides. For the 21-and- older crowd, there will be a beer garden. The Diamond Back band from Searcy will provide musical entertainment.

And the festival won't neglect that other pig in the festivities. Yes, the Razorbacks will be playing Texas Tech University that afternoon and organizers plan to show the game on a Jumbotron during the festival's waning hours so people don't have to miss out on pigskin action.

But really, it's mostly about the bacon.

Of course, that will include the bacon-eating contest.

"We're going to pick five people and see who can eat three pounds of bacon the fastest," Hornburg says.

At the cooking contest, bacon-inspired cooks (using meat donated by Tyson Foods) can compete for Most Creative, Best Presentation, Tastiest Dish or the ultimate prize: to be crowned Bacon King.

To get samples of the cooking contest products, participants will have to have a VIP wristband for $30.

Even without the wristband, there will still be bacon treats galore for visitors.

For instance? Armadillo eggs (chicken stuffed with cheese, wrapped with bacon and then deep fried), moink balls (bacon-wrapped meatballs), tater tots wrapped in bacon with a brown sugar glaze, funnel cakes with bacon crumbles and maple syrup and pig lickers (chocolate-dipped bacon).

If the thought of all that bacon leaves one feeling queasy with guilt and fearful of facing the scales, there's also a 5K fun run/walk at 9:30 a.m. that may get the metabolism going in advance. Runners and walkers will have access to bacon samples along the route if they just can't wait and the registration fee of $45 in advance, $50 on race day includes early festival admission.

Weekend on 09/11/2014