The Great Pig Out/Bacon Festival was truly a pig out for the Festival Fanatics who attended this weekend.

Troy’s Riverfront Park hosted more than three dozen barbecue vendors and there really was a little bit of everything for anybody.  We particularly like the bacon cannoli, the bacon wrapped corn on the cob and the brisket sandwich.

Dan the Man had to try a Ron Swanson meat feast.  Swanson is the carnivore on Parks and Recreation that always dreams of bacon and other meat products.  The meal at the Bacon Fest consisted of three hot dogs, pulled pork, tortilla chips, melted cheese and several other items the staff just threw in for good luck.  They even gave Dan a glove to eat it with his hands! The locale was wonderful.

We had attended the Troy Food Truck festival a while back at the same venue and it is great, right along the Hudson.  Troy also throws a huge Farmers Market just a block away on Saturdays, so this is one busy place when a festival rolls into town!

One minor complaint the Festival Fanatics might offer up is the lack of $1 and $5 samples at the vendors (as advertised).  They did have them later on (at 5 p.m. when the big championship barbecue competition began) but for those of us there at the opening (11 a.m.) we were out of luck.

This is a festival that is still being tweaked and we hope they make samples available all day long at the next Bacon Fest. Like we always say…Bacon Festival!  What’s not to like!   The Fanatics (Big Chuck and Dan) with the festival mascot. Bacon Alley..right along the Hudson River! Jacked Up BBQ has won many regional and national BBQ awards. Crazy Herb’s was a popular vendor. Each vendor had a cooker just smoking away! BBQ vendors came from all over Upstate New York (including the Catskills!) This was a really elaborate mobile BBQ cooker. A little Texas Soda to wash it all down with!   Ever hear of Bacon flavored Cotton Candy?  They had it! Rib wagons were all over Riverfront Park. Can’t you just smell this stuff?  Yummmm…..   Here is the Ron Swanson meal offered at one of the vendors.  Did Dan dare to try it? He scores!!Somebody call a fireman.  This BBQ truck was HOT!And for dessert…our favorite Troy baker..Sweet Sue and her mini Key Lime pies!