Smithfield VA Bacon & Bourbon Fest - Cancellation for Oct 1, 2022
**UPDATE** - posted 9/29/22

Smithfield VA Events regrets to announce that due to the projections regarding the remnants of 
Hurricane Ian, the annual Bacon & Bourbon Music Fest scheduled for Saturday, October 1st, 2022 is cancelled. With the anticipated storm arrival on Friday, and out of concern for the safety of our volunteers, attendees and vendors, the Town of Smithfield has closed the venue site and requested that we mitigate the potential for projectile hazards by clearing the site of tents. This combined with the reallocation of the Town’s Emergency Services to manage the impacts of this type of storm and to support the Governor’s State of Emergency that has been issued prevents us from moving forward to hold the festival.  
 
Smithfield VA Events is truly disappointed to make this announcement. We will be working with our cancellation insurance company to deliver any potential refunds possible within the terms dictated by our policy. This will take some time to navigate, so please be kind and patient with us. It is our intention to be able to offer refunds if our claim is approved. We are currently focused on the priority of clearing the site and notifying all involved. We will post future updates and information on our website, SmithfieldVAEvents.com.

​Smithfield VA
Bacon & Bourbon Music Fest

​(THIS FESTIVAL IS TOTALLY SOLD OUT) 

 Saturday, October 1, 2022
12:00 pm -  5:00 pm
NOTE: *11:00 am entry for Chalet Tix, Early Bird Indiv Tix, Sponsor Tables & Small Business Sponsors. ​
​
Windsor Castle Park,
​Smithfield, VA 
Presented by: 
21 & up only. No infants/pets.
FAQ's & Info: 
for Bacon & Bourbon Fest
Click below to see bourbons at the 2021 festival.  
Preliminary 2022 Bourbon List will be available by July.  
Ticket TYPES, PRICING & release dates:
​Early Bird Tickets:
Entry thru VIP Gate an hour early at 11:00 am. 
On Sale starting JULY 1 at 9 AM (on-line) 

$100 - Early Bird Non-Bourbon Ticket (beer tastings only) 

$125 - Early Bird Bourbon Ticket (beer & bourbon tastings). 

​Perks with Early Bird Tickets: 
  • Purchase early for any of our (3) festivals and know you have tickets in advance of general admission on-line sales. Our festivals usually sell out quickly! 
  • Remain on sale until sold out or Sept 1st,  whichever comes first.
  • Get Early Entry thru VIP Gate an hour early at 11:00 AM. 
  • Get early access at 11AM to bourbon/brew tastings and first dibs on picking your seating location. 
  • No VIP Parking passes are included but with early entry you will have first chance parking in General Parking area. 
  • $40 Tax Deduction (amount paid over normal ticket price) 

General Admission Tickets & Non-Sponsor Tables & DD Tix: 

Noon entry thru Main Gate.

​Go on sale at two releases on line only: 
  • 1st Release: Wed, 7/27 at 7 AM to 7 PM (or until allotment sold out.) 
 
  • 2nd Release: Thur, 7/28 at 7 PM (remain on sale until sold out) ​​

$60 - Non-Bourbon Tix - General Admit

$85 - Bourbon Tix - General Admit

$560 - $760 Non-Sponsor Table, come with (8) Tickets price depends on how many bourbon tix you want. Pick tix types when purchase table.  Location preference is taken, but not guaranteed. Sponsor tables have first choice on location.

Location choices are: Amphitheater Stage, Brew Stage or Manor House Lawn Stage. 

$30 - Designated Driver Tix - sold day of event at the Will Call Booth starting at 10:30am. Available even if event is sold out. CASH ONLY. Still must be 21 & up. ID Required. DD Ticket includes entry into the event, bacon ticket & trip thru bacon condiment bar. May not consume alcohol or participate in tastings. 

what Do tix include?
Bourbon Ticket (bourbon & beer tastings) include everything that Non-Bourbon Tix has PLUS: 
  • (10) half oz. tastings of small batch, hard-to-find, high-end and specialty Bourbons (with $25 Bourbon ticket upgrade). Bourbon tix must be purchased in advance, you cannot upgrade at the festival. Bourbon is tastings only, it is not for sale.
 
Non-Bourbon Ticket (beer tasting only) includes: 
(Bourbon Tix also includes all of these also)
  • Unlimited tastings from over 40 Virginia Craft Brew selections from some of your favorite breweries. 
 
  • Lots of Bacon - each ticket holder gets 1/2 lb. (*pre-cooked weight, it's about 8 thick Smithfield Premium Cut slices).
 
  • One trip thru the Bacon Bar. Eat your bacon hot off the grill, or take it to the Bacon Condiment Tent and add yummy condiments to it. 
 
  • Live Music on two large stages and also on Manor House Lawn Stage.
 
  • Unique Retail Vendors.
 
  • Additional Food, Wine, VA Brews and Bud Light also for sale.  Water/Soda also for sale. 

Designated Driver Tickets: available day of event at the Will Call Booth.  $30 CASH ONLY.  Includes Bacon & Bacon Condiment Bar.  Even if event is sold out, DD Tix are always available. May not drink alcohol or participate in tastings. Still must be 21 & up. 
How do bourbon tastings work?
Early Entry Tastings Hours:
Includes Early Bird Tix, Chalet Tix & Sponsor Tickets only
11:00 am to 4:00 pm Tasting hours

Regular Tastings Hours:
General Admission Tickets and Non-Sponsor Tables:
Noon - 4:00 pm
If you purchased the Bourbon Ticket, you will get a special wristband with (10)  tabs on it when you enter the gate. You also get a pretty cool souvenir tasting glass to use for both your Bourbon or Brew tastings. You can redeem these tabs at the Bourbon Tasting Stations. There are ten stations with a total of  60-70 high-end, small batch or interesting bourbons to choose from. We also offer some of the trendy flavored bourbons/whiskeys, along with featuring some VA Distilleries' Bourbons. 

Located in-front of the Bourbon Stations, is the Bourbon Info Tent and Bourbon Ice Station.  There are some Bourbon Hosts on hand to assist you if you have questions.  You can also stop by the info tent and pick up a bourbon info card.  It lists which bourbon are at each station and some small pencils for you to use to mark/track your favorites. 

We do provided complimentary small cups of ice to folks with bourbon wristbands if you want to pop a piece in your tasting glass. We  don't provide mixers, nor do we sell additional bourbon at the event. It is just a tasting event.  If you want a full cup of ice and a soda, to mix your bourbon with, you can purchase those from the Water/Soda booths. 

Some bourbons will run out before others, so check out what is available and make a plan to taste the hard to get ones first!  Some types we have lots of, others that are hard to get, may only have a few bottles and they will run out early.  You can do "double pours" by turning in two of your tabs, for some of the bourbons, but if we have limited supplies on a specific bourbon you can get a single pour.   

Don't forget -  you get the VA Brew Tastings also - just take your bourbon tasting glass over to the Brew Village and sample some of the hottest VA Breweries around.

​Additional Food, Brew & Wine are for sale at the event. When you come thru the gate, you will also get a souvenir stadium cup. You will use it when you purchase a cup of beer. 
Brew Tastings, Brews & Wine: 

Breweries:

Some of the hottest Virginia Craft Breweries will be at the fest, featuring over (40) brews for you to sample or purchase by the cup or growler.  All Ticket holders, both Bourbon Tickets and Non-Bourbon Tickets get to sample the VA Brews. Scroll down to see list of featured breweries. Bud Light is also available for purchase. 

Tastings: When you enter the fest you will receive a small brew tasting glass.  Take it to any of our featured breweries and sample as many brews as you like. Rinse Stations are available. If you got a bourbon tasting glass you can use that for brew tastings as well. 

Purchase Brew: You will also get a stadium cup when you enter the fest. So, hit up the drink ticket booth, buy your beer tickets and head on over to the brew tents with your stadium cup or if you prefer we can give you a disposable cup. 

We sell VA Brews and Bud Light & Michelob Ultra by the cup or by the SVAEvents Growler (we only honor our SVAEvents logoed Growler!) You can bring one of our growlers you bought at one of our other events, or we will have them for sale at the drink ticket booth the day of the event. Drink tix booth takes cash or credit cards.  There also is an ATM on site.

We do have a few "wandering drink tix sellers" walking around the site, they take cash only. 
​

Bud Light & Michelob Ultra: 

For the non-craft brew drinker, we do offer Bud Light & Michelob Ultra for purchase by the cup or SVAE growler.  Located at a booth in the Brew Village. No tastings. 
​

Drink Tickets & Growlers: 

For Brews you need to visit the Drink Ticket Booth first and purchase drink tickets.  You can also purchase a SVAE Growler here also. 
Featured Breweries:
Founders Brewing Co.
Bold Rock Hard Cider Co. 
Cape Charles Brewing Co. 
Devils Backbone Brewing Co. 
Commonwealth Brewing Co. 
O'Conner Brewing Co. 
New Belgium Brewing
St. George Brewing Co. 
Young Veterans
Wharf Hill 
Red Point Taphouse

Bud Light/Mich Ultra (no tastings) 

Wines: 

A nice selection of wines are available for purchase by the bottle at the Wine Booth located next to the SHIRT BOOTH in the Bourbon Village. Wine Bottles will be uncorked with you purchase them and must be consumed on site. Cash or credit cards accepted.  ATM on site.
bacon & bacon bar: 

Bacon & Bacon Condiment Bar:

BACON. REAL BACON. LOTS OF BACON……in the TOWN THAT KNOWS HOW TO DO BACON. 

Most other bacon events give you small, sometimes overly creative, tiny snippets of bacon. Then, if you want to eat MORE BACON, you have to buy it.

Not here. Not in Smithfield, VA. That is not how our bacon works. We were bacon before bacon was cool. 

Everyone who enters the gate will get a two part "Bacon Ticket" that entitles them to a half pound of Smithfield Bacon (pre-cooked weight).  Cooked, it's about 8 big premium cut thick slices. Turn in one part of your Bacon Ticket to get the bacon, and the other part for your trip thru the Bacon Condiment Bar. 

Once you get your bacon, you can eat it hot off the grill, or you can take it over to the Bacon Condiment Bar and dress it up anyway you please from a selection of various condiments. Stuff for BLT wraps, or Taco Wraps, Pancakes and various sauces to dip your bacon in including chocolate! 
 
Please be patient with our volunteers who are cooking the bacon. Preparing over a TON, (seriously we are not kidding, we cook over a legit TON of it for this event) does  take some time. We promise we will NOT RUN OUT OF BACON, we have enough for everyone to get their 1/2 lb. We will do our best to get everyone served their fresh cooked bacon as quickly as possible.
Water, Soda & Other food available: 

Water/Soda:

Support Isle of Wight Academy Booster Club! Water and soda are for sale at the event in the Water/Soda Booth. 

Food Vendor: 

Located at the entrance to Brew Village: 
Entertainment schedule:
Amphitheater Stage: 

11:30 - 1:30 - Island Boy

2:30 - 5:00 - Carolina Soul


Brew Village Stage:

11:00 - 1:30 - Brasswind

2:30 - 5:00 - Griffin Lane


Manor House Lawn Stage:

11:00 - 1:30 - Mercy Creek

2:30 - 5:00 - Lewis  McGehee
REtail Vendors:
As you stroll around the festival, check out our upscale, unique, hand-crafted retail vendors.

MANOR HOUSE LAWN
Emerson Cigars Courtyard

BOURBON VILLAGE:
EVENT SHIRTS & MERCHANDISE 

BREW VILLAGE: 
EVENT SHIRTS & MERCHANDISE

 Plus other Retail Vendors.  Check back later for list of vendors participating. 
Cigar Courtyard & Smoking:
Want a good cigar with. your Bourbon? Or want to purchase some to take home?

Check out our expanded Cigar Courtyard, hosted by Emerson's Cigars, on the back lawn of the Manor House. 

Smoking is permitted in either the cigar courtyard or in our designated smoking sections that are marked and located here the restroom areas. 

Smoking not permitted inside any tent or chalet yard or in any general area of the festival. 
Do's & Don'ts:
DO THESE THINGS:  
  • Bring lawn chairs/blankets for seating.
  • Bring a hand-held umbrella (for rain or sun). 
  • Wear comfortable shoes.  Event is held on grass fields. Can be muddy if rains. 
  • Bring an ID to the Gate. 21 & Up only event. 
  • Cash & Credit cards accepted and an ATM is also on site. 
  • Make a post-fest safe ride transportation plan. 
  • Bring sunscreen/bug spray. 
  • If you own an SVAEvents growler purchased at one of our other events, you are welcome to bring it (EMPTY) and use it at this event for brew. 

DON'T DO THESE THINGS:
  • No infants, pets or children.
  • No pop up tents, canopies or large "beach umbrellas". 
  • No outside food/drink if entering thru MAIN GATE with General Admission tickets (which includes Non-Sponsor Table tickets as well).  
NOTE: For Sponsor Tables & Chalets & Early Bird Tix holders entering thru the VIP GATES, you are permitted to bring in small picnic baskets and coolers are permitted. Chalets see your detailed sheet for special instructions on set-up. 
  • No alcohol can enter or exit this event. 
DIRECTIONS/PARKING/DROP-OFFS:
Directions: Use 705 Cedar Street, Smithfield VA as the GPS address. If given an option, choose the route that uses CEDAR STREET. 

If coming thru town on South Church Street ****DO NOT turn off of S. Church Street onto "Old" Jericho Road (between the pink and green historic homes). Go one more block toward Main Street and turn on CEDAR STREET to get to the park. 

If coming via RT.10/258 - you will turn at the light on Main Street, then turn right on Underwood (1st right after car wash).  At the stop sign turn right on CEDAR STREET and follow signs to Windsor Castle Park. 

Parking: Our local VFW will be directing traffic once you arrive at the park.  We have three areas: VIP Parking, General Parking and Handicapped Parking. None of the parking is far, and we have plenty.  There are also golf carts available to give rides to folks that need assistance.  

YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR CAR OVERNIGHT IF SOMEONE PICKS YOU UP FROM THE FEST.  SVAE & The Town of Smithfield are not responsible of any damage/theft to your vehicle, but it will not be towed.  Please pick up on Sunday. No overnight camping permitted.

BEING DROPPED OFF?

Individual cars- drop off instructions: Tell VFW parking attendants that you are being dropped off and they will direct you where to pull thru.  All cars dropping off will exit out Old Jericho Road and will be only permitted to make a right hand turn on S. Church Street.

Individual cars - pick up instructions: Cars picking you up will need to come to fest via Cedar Street and park in our General Admission parking lot.  You will need to make plans to meet them there and you will just need to call to locate each other. 

PARTY BUSES/LIMOS: Larger vehicles dropping off (like party bus or limos) will be directed to our Shuttle Stop U-Turn area.

They can let their passengers out and then if they are not staying during the fest, they will leave via Cedar Street.  If they are staying on site during the event, after they drop off passengers, they will be directed where to park the bus/limo by our parking staff.  

When the event is over, they can pull back into the Shuttle Stop U-Turn area to load passengers and then exit via Cedar Street. 
Proceeds benefit: 
Over (60) organizations that support our community! Last year's festival donated over $73,000! 
Site Map - Click on it to enlarge. 
Picture
Click on map to enlarge.
Presented by: 
Entertainment Sponsor: