Zingerman's Camp Bacon, June 30 - July 1

Famed Baco-luminaries to Convene in June and July
for Zingerman’s 2nd Annual Camp Bacon

Pork Lovers Paradise Expands to Four-day Festival at Venues Across Ann Arbor; Proceeds Benefit Southern Foodways Alliance and Washtenaw County 4-H


Ann Arbor, MI—Zingerman’s announced an expanded line-up for Camp Bacon 2011, their 2nd 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. 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 Zingerman’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, NC 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 and reservations can be made by calling 734.663.3663 or online at www.zingermansroadhouse.com.

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. Joining Andre for an acoustic set with Skull Orchard is Jon Langford, founder of famed country/punk bands the Mekons and The Waco Brothers. This show is a benefit for the Southern Foodways Alliance. Tickets are are $20 per head, $30 for reserved seats and available in person at the Michigan Union Ticket office, The Ark box office, Herb David Guitar Studio, by phone at (734) 763-TKTS (8587) and online through Ticketmaster.

The Camp Bacon Main Event happens Saturday, July 2 on the Zingerman’s Roadhouse patio. Allan Benton returns after headlining last year’s event. Says Ari, “Benton's in Tennessee is one of the premier curing operations in the country and Allen almost never travels so getting him up here two years in a row is really a thrill for us.” He'll be joined by noted chef and cooking teacher Molly Stevens (also featured in 2010), Brian Polcyn from Cinco Lagos and author of Charcuterie, Emile DeFelice from Caw Caw Creek farm in South Carolina, John T. Edge from the Southern Foodways Alliance, Jan Longone, Ari Weinzweig and more. We'll have talks, tastings, poetry and lots and lots of bacon. This event is also a benefit for the Southern Foodways Alliance. Tickets for this all day event are $195 and can be reserved at www.zingermanscampbacon.com.

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. This event runs from 11am to 2pm and is a fund-raiser for the Washtenaw County 4-H. It is open to the public and a donation is requested.

For more information on Camp Bacon 2011 contact camp director Gauri Thergaonkar at gthergaonkar@zingermans.com. You can also find more info on the web at www.zingermanscampbacon.com or facebook at www.facebook.com/zingermanscampbacon