Dolly Parton (aka Madison Hebbard from Toowoomba) was “bacon” people’s hearts at Kingaroy BaconFest

August 23, 2024

Kingaroy sizzled at the weekend … and it’s not just the temperature we’re talking about.

The annual Kingaroy BaconFest took over Glendon Street, part of Alford Street and inside and outside Kingaroy’s Town Hall.

There were bacon (and pork) treats galore to enjoy plus pig-themed balloons, badges and shirts.

Everywhere you looked there was an explosion of pink …

This year’s event featured three stages: the Main Stage in the forecourt which hosted non-stop music plus traditional dancing, the Town Hall stage which featured celebrity chefs and producer talks, and the Sunpork Bacon Barn (at the rear of the Town Hall) held the Pinup Pageant, bacon-eating heats, dancing displays, kids’ activities, PIGJAM and the Beard of BaconFest competition.

Competitors in the SunPork Smoke-Off BBQ competition lined Alford Street.

This competition, an official round of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance national competition, was won by Grillas In The Mist with Dusty Que just one point behind (full results are online)

This is the fifth time that pork trotters have pounded the festival pavements of Kingaroy.

BaconFest was launched in 2018 but the pandemic stopped it from going ahead in 2020 and 2021.

The 2024 weekend kicked off in traditional fashion with the ticketed Wine And Swine cocktail party in the Town Hall Forecourt on Friday night.

The area was turned into a glittering party zone for the evening.

Saturday’s events outside the festival zone included the Rashers Rush on the South Burnett Rail Trail and regional bus tours.

A new attraction inside the festival area this year was Chiggy’s Skateboarding which was running skating displays and lessons at the rear of the Town Hall.

Sunday’s Long Table Breakfast shifted into the Commercial Hotel this year and was accompanied by a “Pig’s Breakfast” in the Forecourt.

Committee secretary Kylie van Schyndel said overall she was very happy with the way the weekend had worked out although the final attendance figures – and the breakdown of where people came from – will not be known for some time.

Although volunteers had been slow to come forward initially, there had been a surge as the weekend drew closer with almost 250 people – including children – helping out in different roles across the two days.

Related articles:

Sunpork’s Kenton Shaw and Linchon Hawks were working hard in the Swig & Swine licensed area
Volunteer co-ordinator Amber Goldsmith with Junior Baconeer Matti van Schyndel and her mum, BaconFest secretary Kylie van Schyndel
2024 Chief Baconeer Evalyn Thompson with a former Chief Baconeer, Kristy Board, who returned to help out on the weekend
Jessica McCullough was helping out at the Taabinga State School P&C’s stall
Chief Baconeer Evalyn Thompson, 2023 Beards of BaconFest winner Gary Moyle and South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff judged the BaconFest Pinup Pageant
Pinup Pageant winner Dyvine Serpentine, from Toowoomba, did a cheeky (bacon) strip … complete with “pig tail”
Toowoomba entrants dominated the Pinup Pageant competition … back row, from left, Vegas Vendetta, Paprika Foxx, Charlie Von Kitten and Suzy Sweets; at front, winner Dyvine Serpentine with Memphis, 6, and Maddie, 3
Deputy Mayor Danita Potter and Lylle Balzer-Blackstock, from Australian Pork Limited, were overseeing the bacon-eating competition heats
Heat 1 of the senior Bacon Eating competition on Saturday … the eventual winner on Sunday was Morgan Keech from Brisbane with runner-up, Daisuke Miyagawa
Constable Bryony Cochran and Senior Constable Ian Threadingham, from Kingaroy Station, were looking after the police exhibit (and no, we’re not going to say it)
Luke Benson and Mathew Chigwidden, from Chiggy’s Skateboarding at Coolum, were hamming it up
Leo and Rita Mechielsen and Jessica and Olivia Van Der Zwaag travelled from Brisbane to attend BaconFest
Tracy Goldsmith was shepherding Bacon Man and a bunch of LIttle Piggies
Members of the Barambah Big Band took to the stage on Saturday morning
MISfiTZ Duo, ie.  Rob and Clare Fitz-Herbert, on stage on Saturday night  (Photo: Past Tense Photography)
Volunteer Tony Cisneros was kept busy organising the musos
“Little Man Music”, ie. Clint Gee, was one of the local acts on stage on Saturday
Celebrity chefs on stage in the Kingaroy Town Hall on Saturday morning … Matt Golinski, Justine Schofield and Maggie Dmochowski
Celebrity chef Alastair McLeod revs up the crowd inside the Kingaroy Town Hall
Pinup star Bettie Butcher hosted the BaconFest Pinup Pageant
Local food producers joined Carl Rackemann “On The Couch” to discuss their products (Photo: Pitt Family)
Some of the many BaconFest volunteers gathered for a group photo (Photo: Past Tense Photography)
The Glendon Street Forecourt was turned into a glittering party area on Friday night for the Wine And Swine cocktail soiree (Photo: Charlotte Pitt)

* * *

Gallery

[Gallery photos by southburnett.com.au, Mark & Nicola Pitt, Past Tense Photography]

  

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.