Do you love bacon? Do you love free bacon? Do you love learning about where bacon comes from? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you are the perfect person to attend the ISU Bacon Expo! What is bacon expo? Well, it is a yearly event that focuses solely on the love of bacon and teaching consumers about how their pork goes from farm to fork. It is run by a group of Iowa State Students who spend a year planning this family-friendly event. Tickets are on sale now at MidwesTix (https://midwestix.securemytix.com/event/IowaStateBaconExpo2015/). Prices are $8 for children 10 and under, $12 for adults, and $10 for Iowa State students. Children 5 and under get free admission. Tickets prices will go up on the day of the event if purchased at the door. Tickets include admission, entertainment, education, and bacon/bacon specialty samples. Since this year's Bacon Expo is on October 10th (10/10) here are 10 things you will miss if you don't attend the 2015 Bacon Nation.
1. Free Bacon Samples- With over a dozen vendors bringing their own version of the salty meat candy, your taste buds are going to be in hickory-smoked heaven! New to this year's event: no bacon punch cards! Bacon Samples are included in the price of admission.
2. Bacon Cupcakes- Can sugary sweet and salty mix? You bet and it even comes in a cute cupcake form! Thank-you to Scratch Cupcakes for bringing this salty-sweet novelty item to our event. You may think you know bacon's limits, but after tasting these cupcakes you will soon learn that bacon has no limits.
3. The extremely attractive "Pigs are Good for Iowa" pink paper pig ears- You've seen them at state fair. You've seen them at many county fairs. Now it is your time to get these iconic pork-promoting headbands provided by Iowa Pork Producers Association!
4. Live Pig Display- It's not everyday that you get to see 15-20lbs pigs, and you definitely don't want to miss an opportunity to see these adorable bacon seeds! Located in the Education Corner of the Bacon Expo, these little guys are always a popular site for adults and youngsters alike!
5. Iowa State Talent- As you are enjoying your salty treats, you will be able to enjoy the free entertainment provided by Iowa State's own talented students! Folks, these kids could be the next Garth Brooks or Katy Perry. You don't want to miss the chance to see them before they go big!
6. Prizes for the kids- There is so much to do in the education corner this year, with many opportunities for kids to learn about the pork industry and win cool prizes along the way. With a coloring contest and a scavenger hunt, children of all ages are able to participate in the learning activities and have a chance to win a cool prize!
7. Corn Pool- While the reason is unknown to most adults, it is no secret that kids love to play in pools of corn. Bacon Expo was very fortunate to have Iowa Corn donate their corn pool for this year's event. If you attended the Animal Science Learning Day this past spring you know how long kids are entertained by a kiddie pool full of corn!
8. Bacon Apparel- Bacon Nation themed apparel is available for purchase, so you have something to remind yourself just how much fun you had at Bacon Expo. New for this year, adult and kid sizes are available so no-one has to go home empty handed.
9. Pork Royalty- Iowa State is fortunate to be home to the 2015 Iowa Pork Queen, Iowa Pork Princess, and Iowa Pork Ambassador, and they all will be in attendance that this year's Bacon Expo. This is your chance to meet them and have the kids take a picture with a real life Princess/Queen! You can't get this real of royalty even at Disney World!
10. Bacon Education- Where do pigs live? What do pigs eat? What are pigs used for? What's the difference between a black pig and a white pig? All these questions and any others that you have about the pork industry can be answered at Bacon Expo! With an education committee that is consisted of over a dozen students with a strong knowledge on the industry, there is no excuse for you not to ask your pork-themed questions! People of all ages will go home with a better understanding and knowledge on the process of gate to plate.
This year's Iowa State Bacon Expo will be held at the Jeff and Deb Hansen Animal Learning Center on the Iowa State Campus. The event runs from 11 am- 3pm, and again all ages are encouraged to attend! We promise you won't go home without your fill of bacon and pork education. Tickets are going fast, so get yours now!
*This post is written by myself and does not reflect the views of the entire Bacon Expo Executive Team. I was not paid to write this post. All opinions are my own.
1. Free Bacon Samples- With over a dozen vendors bringing their own version of the salty meat candy, your taste buds are going to be in hickory-smoked heaven! New to this year's event: no bacon punch cards! Bacon Samples are included in the price of admission.
2. Bacon Cupcakes- Can sugary sweet and salty mix? You bet and it even comes in a cute cupcake form! Thank-you to Scratch Cupcakes for bringing this salty-sweet novelty item to our event. You may think you know bacon's limits, but after tasting these cupcakes you will soon learn that bacon has no limits.
3. The extremely attractive "Pigs are Good for Iowa" pink paper pig ears- You've seen them at state fair. You've seen them at many county fairs. Now it is your time to get these iconic pork-promoting headbands provided by Iowa Pork Producers Association!
4. Live Pig Display- It's not everyday that you get to see 15-20lbs pigs, and you definitely don't want to miss an opportunity to see these adorable bacon seeds! Located in the Education Corner of the Bacon Expo, these little guys are always a popular site for adults and youngsters alike!
5. Iowa State Talent- As you are enjoying your salty treats, you will be able to enjoy the free entertainment provided by Iowa State's own talented students! Folks, these kids could be the next Garth Brooks or Katy Perry. You don't want to miss the chance to see them before they go big!
6. Prizes for the kids- There is so much to do in the education corner this year, with many opportunities for kids to learn about the pork industry and win cool prizes along the way. With a coloring contest and a scavenger hunt, children of all ages are able to participate in the learning activities and have a chance to win a cool prize!
7. Corn Pool- While the reason is unknown to most adults, it is no secret that kids love to play in pools of corn. Bacon Expo was very fortunate to have Iowa Corn donate their corn pool for this year's event. If you attended the Animal Science Learning Day this past spring you know how long kids are entertained by a kiddie pool full of corn!
8. Bacon Apparel- Bacon Nation themed apparel is available for purchase, so you have something to remind yourself just how much fun you had at Bacon Expo. New for this year, adult and kid sizes are available so no-one has to go home empty handed.
9. Pork Royalty- Iowa State is fortunate to be home to the 2015 Iowa Pork Queen, Iowa Pork Princess, and Iowa Pork Ambassador, and they all will be in attendance that this year's Bacon Expo. This is your chance to meet them and have the kids take a picture with a real life Princess/Queen! You can't get this real of royalty even at Disney World!
10. Bacon Education- Where do pigs live? What do pigs eat? What are pigs used for? What's the difference between a black pig and a white pig? All these questions and any others that you have about the pork industry can be answered at Bacon Expo! With an education committee that is consisted of over a dozen students with a strong knowledge on the industry, there is no excuse for you not to ask your pork-themed questions! People of all ages will go home with a better understanding and knowledge on the process of gate to plate.
This year's Iowa State Bacon Expo will be held at the Jeff and Deb Hansen Animal Learning Center on the Iowa State Campus. The event runs from 11 am- 3pm, and again all ages are encouraged to attend! We promise you won't go home without your fill of bacon and pork education. Tickets are going fast, so get yours now!
*This post is written by myself and does not reflect the views of the entire Bacon Expo Executive Team. I was not paid to write this post. All opinions are my own.