Portage held its 10th annual Bacon Fest on September 16. It was the perfect event to close out the summer. Hundreds of locals came together to share their love of fried, crispy, and savory American classic, bacon. Local favorites such as the Crispy Hot Dog, Tocayos, Kona Ice, and many other vendors served the Portage community. There were also events for the little ones and booths that offered dog-friendly foods.
Other events sprouted along the Square were the kids zone, which featured bounce houses, an inflatable rock-climbing wall, and obstacle courses. Other booths offered axe throwing and mechanical bull riding.
Sisters Caitlin and Melissa Moisant are owners of Axe Rated, a veteran-owned mobile axe-throwing booth. To the sisters, this is more than just a way for people to have fun. They look at it as a new way of therapy.
“It’s therapy with assets,” Caitlin Moisant said. “It is a way to give back to my community. I’m a veteran so I know how stressful things can be.”
Later this month the sisters plan to hold a region-wide event where they visit local firehouses to allow the firemen to throw axes as a way to help them de-stress.
“They’re the only first responders that I know that carry axes. It's also a very stressful job and I'm very glad to give them this option to help them relieve some of that stress,” said Moisant.
The bacon fest was more than just good food and fun. It was a way for the community to band together to bring summer to an end. Local businesses like the library, the historical society, and the Portage Police Department were seen at the fun-filled event.
Portage local Abbie Swift was cooperating with the Cub Scout booth. This booth was a way for the Scouts to fund-raise for future events, and to help the Scouts that may not be able to afford it, they make sure no one is excluded.
“I've been here my entire life, so this is a big deal,” Swift said. “It's nice to see the people out here, especially after all the years of the shutdown, but to see so many people out and about it just brings pride to me to see my hometown do something like this.”
If you want a break from walking around eating all the delicious food and interacting with their vendors and booths. Many locals could be seen relaxing in the beer garden or across the amphitheater field to watch live music. The first band to bring the stage alive for the night was a local band. Stop. Don't. Rewind. They played an array of classics from Phil Collins, Journey, and their own music to get the crowd ready for the rest of the night’s festivities.
If you’re a fan of bacon or didn't know how to end the summer, Portage Bacon Fest is the event that you should put on your calendar for next year.
To find more information on Portage events visit portagein.gov
