The Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival is set to return to its birthplace at the High Life Lounge and El Bait Shop in Des Moines for its 18th annual event on April 18. Tickets, priced at $60, offer all-you-can-eat bacon along with seven creative bacon-inspired dishes. The event highlights Iowa's pork heritage with samples from local producers.
The Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, a celebration of pork that began as a private gathering in the early 2000s at the Porter Cottage in Spirit Lake, has evolved into a public event since 2007. That year, Des Moines enthusiast Brooks Reynolds proposed turning the tradition into a full-day festival, leading to the formation of the Iowa Bacon Board. The inaugural event took place on March 1, 2008—National Pig Day—at the High Life Lounge and El Bait Shop in downtown Des Moines, limited to 120 attendees who enjoyed seven bacon dishes. Attendance grew rapidly, with 600 tickets selling out in 30 minutes by 2010, prompting expansions that included quirky themes, lectures, eating contests, and even international versions in places like Japan and Iceland.
This year's 18th edition returns to those original venues at 200 S.W. Second St., emphasizing the festival's roots. Scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 18, the event caps attendance at 250 people. Diners will sample premium Iowa bacon from producers such as Des Moines Bacon Co. in Adel, Berkwood Farms in Des Moines, and City Meat Market in New Albin. The menu features innovative items like pineapple pork belly popsicles and bacon cotton candy, alongside staples including Fong’s bacon pizza and a specialty dish by Chef Dom Ianarelli of Prime & Providence.
Each ticket includes festival extras: a T-shirt, a commemorative BRBF koozie, Barn Town Brewery beer, and High Noon drink specials. The day includes a live acoustic set by Owen Justice at noon and a bacon-eating contest at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are available now through blueribbonbaconfestival.com.
