There’s a festival on next month that’s dedicated to bacon

Everyone needs something to get excited about this January. The prospect of freezing weather, rejoining your colleagues and, if you’re British, a Tory majority means that you can be completely forgiven for spending the first month of this year with your hands over your face in a desperate bid to pretend 2020 never arrived. 

Particularly in England, January can be so uninspiring that coming up with any sort of suitable escapist fantasy can be a stretch. However, just because yuletide Britain is about as hospitable as the planet from “Alien”, doesn’t mean that there aren’t other destinations worth dreaming about. Case in point, Sacramento, California. 

Not only is Sacramento in the Southern United States, and therefore much more likely to be summery than, say, Manchester, but the city has a special surprise that makes Januarys well worth waiting for. Every year, for the past nine years, Sacramento has played host to the United States’ premier bacon festival. Thankfully for everyone, 2020 is no different.

The event, which this year will take place between the 21st and 26th of January, is a week-long tribute to the city’s favourite pork product. Highlights include bacon-themed specials run in participating restaurants across the city, as well as several “adults only” special evenings. Highlights include the exclusive opening party and legendary “Chef’s Challenge” – featuring bacon-based dishes from some of Sacramento’s top cooks. 

Check out our epic Bacon Hacks compilation:

Though details on this year’s line-up are sketchy, previous years have proven that there is plenty to get excited about. Dishes featured as part of the festival circuit have included “kombu-and-salt-cured and roasted pork with poached langostino”, “sturgeon bacon”, “bacon-dusted donuts” and “bacon and waffle brunch”. 

According to the Bacon Fest Facebook page, more than half the tickets for the event have already sold out, so you’ll have to move quickly if you want to secure some. It might be halfway around the world, but surely it’s worth the effort to make January someway exciting.