Chicago Bacon Fest Held at Old Crow Smokehouse

While the main event was held at Old Crow Smokehouse, this iteration of Bacon Fest was organized by Chicago Twenty Something, a group known for creating social events for the city's young professional crowd. Their portfolio includes bar crawls, tasting festivals, and booze cruises, indicating a focus on high-energy, social gatherings rather than the more gourmet-focused Baconfest of the past. The event promised a "street-fest-style party" atmosphere, complete with live country music from Krista Lynn Meadow. This format suggests a more casual, mingling-focused experience, a departure from the chef-driven tasting events that previously defined the Baconfest brand in Chicago. A key feature of the event was the special bacon-focused menu, with one preview mentioning over a dozen unique bacon-spiked dishes. While the exact menu remains under wraps, past bacon festivals have featured inventive items such as Cornbread Cookie BLTs, Maple Bacon Bourbon Cinnamon Rolls, and Whipped Brie & Bacon Jam Crostini. Themed cocktails were also a major draw, with tickets including a bacon cocktail and a shot of Bubba's Pancake & Bacon Whiskey. This particular whiskey is known for its sweet and savory flavor profile, with notes of maple syrup, buttery pancakes, and smoky bacon, suggesting the cocktails were likely creative and indulgent. The choice of Old Crow Smokehouse in Wrigleyville as the venue aligns with the event's lively, party-like atmosphere. The venue is a popular spot for live country music and game-day crowds, with a large, open layout conducive to social events. This version of Bacon Fest encouraged social media engagement with a photo contest using the hashtag #ChiBaconFest. The prizes included tickets to other social events like party cruises and wine tastings, further cementing the event's positioning within the young professionals' social circuit.