EASTON, Pa. — Burgers made with a beef and bacon blend, maple bacon ice cream and a bacon Bloody Mary were on the menu Saturday night as an estimated 80 to 100 people packed the Acopian Room at The State Theatre for Taste of Bacon Fest, a preview of the 15th PA Bacon Fest in downtown Easton.
The two-hour ticketed event gave vendors a chance to test items ahead of the festival, which returns Nov. 7-8. The Greater Easton Development Partnership, the nonprofit that organizes both events, held its first preview last year.
“We started doing a preview event for Bacon Fest last year, and it was so well received, we felt it was worth doing again,” Jared Mast, the partnership’s executive director, said in a news release announcing the event.
Mast said the evening is “a great way to preview what the vendors are cooking up and get them excited about specific items and offerings.”
Burgers, empanadas and ice cream
At least 10 vendors served samples of drinks, savory food, and desserts Saturday.
Thyme Rooftop Grille, a restaurant on Northampton Street, served the Thyme Burger, a beef-and-bacon blend topped with smoked aioli, Cooper cheese, and onion. The restaurant also poured a Burnt Orange Sidecar made with bourbon and a nonalcoholic blood orange drink called the Scarlet Sunset.
Dulce y Salado by Yiyi, an Allentown family business, served empanadas, including one filled with ricotta cheese, spinach, and bacon and another with chicken, cheese, and corn.
For dessert, Sweet Girlz Bakery, a from-scratch bakery on North Third Street, served bacon-topped cupcakes. Uncle Louie G Italian Ices & Ice Cream scooped maple bacon ice cream, and another table offered layered dessert bars topped with bacon.
On the drink side, Black & Blue, a tavern on Walnut Street, poured cocktail samples. Original Degenerate Distilling Company, which makes spirits on Northampton Street, set up a copper still behind its table of vodka and other bottles. The bar also served a bacon sangria.
Thyme, Sweet Girlz, Black & Blue, Uncle Louie G and Original Degenerate Distilling Company are all on the vendor list for the November festival.
Some offerings differed from last year’s preview.
Merch, music and a raffle
Guests received a free drink ticket, and many left with tote bags of merchandise, including crewneck sweatshirts, sweatpants, and T-shirts. The evening also featured a raffle and live music from The After Hours.
The crowd included residents and local business leaders.
Tickets were $35 for general admission and $60 for VIP, according to the partnership. VIP ticket holders received extra drinks, extra raffle tickets, and additional merchandise.
“Think of Taste of Bacon Fest as the appetizer before the main course,” Joe Dimeck, the partnership’s manager of special events and promotions, said in the release.
Festival returns in November
PA Bacon Fest runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 in downtown Easton, centered on Centre Square. Admission is free, and the festival raises money for the partnership.
The two-day festival draws more than 50,000 people and features more than 100 vendors and more than 20 musical acts on eight stages, according to the Greater Easton Development Partnership.
The partnership’s programs include the Easton Farmers’ Market, Easton Public Market, Easton Main Street Initiative, and Easton Ambassadors.
