First Posted: 10/6/2014

Bacon funnel cake, bacon Oreos, bacon jam, bacon on a stick, chocolate-covered bacon, bacon peanut butter, bacon Twinkies …

The list of yummy bacon treats keeps going, and hundreds of people waited hours in line for a tasty sample of the perfect pig part. Pennsylvania’s first bacon festival was held in Philadelphia last weekend, and cooks couldn’t cook the greasy, salty main attraction fast enough.

People got to the Wells Fargo Complex early and lined up outside Xfinity Live, where the fest was held. Locals and visitors, some even dressed as a strip of bacon, were eager to try some of the new bacon-themed dishes.

Bacon funnel cake was the highlight at the event, and people with a high patience level waited nearly two hours to try the latest bacon craze.

Christiana Foley and Eric Landherr, both of Philadelphia, said the event was a little crowded and that lines were “obnoxious.”

“What are you waiting on line for?” Foley asked another attendee.

“Oh, for the funnel cake? That’s obnoxious. It’s not even that worth it,” she said. “We waited on line for hours and all it is, is a funnel cake with bacon bits on top of it.”

After her exclamation, a few people left the line to venture off to find a new, less in-demand treat.

“We waited an hour for the jalapeno bacon and candied bacon,” Landherr said. The candied bacon was awesome.”

Candied bacon is strips of bacon rubbed with a mapley, brown sugar blend then cooked to a crispy, caramelized treat. A dash of hot pepper flakes was added for a bit of kick.

Chef Lawrence Rosenberg, proprietor of Bacon Bites, said he’s been attending bacon festivals across America and is excited to find himself in the Keystone State.

“You know, it’s good. It’s a little unorganized, but it’s a good turnout,” he said. “I should have come with five trucks of merchandise. I came with one. I’ve sold over 2,000 pieces. I’m down to nothing.”

In addition to his bacon treats, Rosenberg sold bacon themed T-shirts with sayings like “Beer, Bacon & Boobies,” and other kitschy bacon themed items.

Bacon jam — original, black pepper, and red chile and garlic — was another big hit at the event. The jam was tasty on a Ritz cracker or simply on a dip stick. At $15 for a small jar, the bacon jams weren’t having problems selling out of their supply.

The biggest complaint many people shared was that they couldn’t get to the bacon fast enough because of the long, long lines.