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Zingerman’s announced an expanded line-up for Camp Bacon 2011, its second annual celebration of cured and smoked pork belly. Like the inaugural event, this year’s extravaganza will feature music, poetry, games, prizes, celebrity chefs, bacon lovers and bacon makers at venues across Ann Arbor, Mich. Camp Director Gauri Thergaonkar says the festival will expand to a four-day schedule including a special dinner at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, a benefit show at The Ark, a street fair in Kerrytown and the “Main Event” at Zingerman’s Roadhouse.

The vision for Camp Bacon first appeared in Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon written by the specialty retailer’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig. “I just imagined a camp, much like the kind kids go to every summer, but all about bacon. There would be music, crafts, games, and lots of lots of tasting and learning about bacon. It seemed far-fetched when I wrote it but like a lot of our visions, it’s coming true.”

Camp Bacon 2011 kicks off with a special dinner at the Roadhouse on Thursday, June 30 at 7pm prepared by 2011 James Beard Award winners Andrea Reusing from the Lantern restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C. and Zingerman’s own Roadhouse chef Alex Young. In May, Alex was honored as Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region and Andrea was chosen as Best Chef in the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation. Andrea is currently promoting her new book Cooking in the Moment and she and Alex will feature plenty of artisanal bacons throughout their menu. Cost for this event is $45.

Friday, July 1, R&B legend Andre Williams returns to Ann Arbor to reprise his show from Camp Bacon 2010. This year, the man behind the 1957 hit “Bacon Fat,” is bringing his band the Goldstars to Ann Arbor’s legendary music venue The Ark for a Camp Bacon benefit concert. Proceeds from the show go to the Southern Foodways Alliance, an organization that documents, studies, and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the changing American South.
The Camp Bacon Main Event happens Saturday, July 2 on the Zingerman’s Roadhouse patio. Allan Benton returns after headlining last year’s event. Tickets for this all day event are $195.

The festival comes to a close Sunday, July 3 with a downtown Bacon Street Fair at The Sunday Artisans Market in Kerrytown in Ann Arbor. Vendors of bacon-inspired foods (including folks from Zingerman's Community of Businesses) will be out in force at the open-air market offering samples, selling their wares and discussing the craft of bacon curing and cooking with bacon.
For more information, visit www.zingermanscampbacon.com
Source: Zingermans