There was a lot of bacon to choose from. The smell of unique concoctions like bacon gumbo and chocolate bacon bourbon tarts wafted through the buildings at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a party.

Welcome to the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in Des Moines, Iowa, just a little slice of peppered heaven. It's the capital city's increasingly popular festival celebrating all things connected with the meat.

Saturday, in the epicenter of the manliest of aromas, just a little more than 10,000 pounds of bacon was served in unusual ways, such as chocolate-dipped bacon and bacon-flavored cupcakes.

The 8,000 available tickets for the event sold out in a little more than 3 minutes.

Iowan's seem to do this festival right. Governor Terry Branstad even pardoned a pig for the event. Now, Bonnie, pictured below, will spend the rest of her life living high on the hog on a private farm never to end up on a slice of toast. Dammit, I told myself I wasn't going to cry.

Pig Pardon in Iowa
AP Photo/Barbara Rodriguez
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And while they were at it, one girl was crowned the Bacon Queen.

5 tons of bacon and it's all being consumed by happy throngs of people wearing Viking hats and pig noses.

I think it’s the right time of year when everybody’s been cooped up. It’s a good time to get out, have some fun, try some new stuff, have a few beers and enjoy yourselves with everybody else.” - Mike Vogel...festival goer dressed in an actual costume made of bacon.
So, what's it going to take to get a bacon festival in Sioux Falls? Anyone?

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