Ah, the temptress. Smoky. Sultry. Sizzling. The scent, the texture, it cannot be ignored. One slip, a nibble. It is never enough. Another, and another, and another.

Were there an East Tennessee Power of Bacon traveling display, Laura Sohn would be Exhibit A. Owner of Mockingbird Events since September, she’s co-founder of Knoxville’s BaconFest, which is going public for the first time this weekend.

Laura Sohn and Knoxville are by no means the first to have a BaconFest—no one seems to be claiming that honor, but there are certainly pre-existing bacon festivals in Portland, Ore., Kansas City, San Francisco, and as a benefit for ...

Maybe there are some people coming to BaconFest 2010 who don’t have at least a little crush on bacon. But Lindsay Beeson, who will be providing bacon toffee candy bars, bacon toffee ice cream in maple cones, and bacon bourbon ...

It never ceases to amaze Allan Benton. Like when he’s siting in the doctor’s office, leafing through an old Bon Appetit magazine, and sees a list of 12 Best Restaurants. “Four of them were our customers,” recalls Benton. “We’re just ...

"I’m like Will Rodgers of bacon... I never met a pig I didn’t like!" —Mike McGill, bluegrass honky tonk musician who will play BaconFest

Local and regional bacon fiends say definitely do try these recipes at home:

Here's the skinny on Baconfest 2010: