The smell of bacon and the roar of motorcycles will fill the town of Lucan on Saturday as Baconfest returns for a fourth year in a row.
The festival, which began in 2013 as a customer appreciation event for Hog Town Cycles, has grown into a community celebration that drew roughly 11,000 people to the town last year. Baconfest kicks off at 8am with a breakfast motorcycle ride that is followed by the blessing of the bikes and opening ceremonies at 10am. The rest of the day is filled with bacon, bikes, and music at various locations through the town, including Main St., the Lucan Community Centre, and Market St. Park.
"We like to think of ourselves as a mini-Port Dover," said Lucan Biddulph Mayor Cathy Burghardt-Jesson. "We get bike enthusiasts and bike riders from all over southwestern Ontario. There is very much a food component, especially with calling the festival Baconfest. We have a number of food trucks all that have different specialties, all of which have to come with some sort of bacon dish. There is also a children's village, so it is a family friendly event too."
Other highlights of Baconfest include a show and shine and custom bike show, a Harley pull, a bacon ice sculpture, and a vendor village packed with food and motorcycle accessories.
Hells Bells, an AC/DC tribute band and Gunz N'FN' Rosez, a Guns & Roses tribute band, are among those slated to perform. While that show is a ticketed event, the rest of the Baconfest music is free.
"We have rotating bands at the legion, we have a busker stage setup on Main St., then down at the arena, which we have called Hogland, there is a larger beer tent and stage that has music all day. So for music lovers you can get everything from blues to a little bit of retro rock to some new age music," said Burghardt-Jesson.
In addition to combining the love of bacon and motorcycles, Baconfest provides a big economic boost to Lucan, that Burghardt-Jesson explains extends well beyond a single day.
"Anytime you can bring people into your community and have them look and see what you have to offer pays off in dividends. That day the stores are filled, people are lined up at the museum but they also come back and they tell their friends," said Burghardt-Jesson. "It's a long standing fact that for every $1 that is spent in your community $10 is then re-spent by that business through employing people or buying products."
A full list of Baconfest events, times, and locations can be found by clicking here.
