What can you expect different from an annual event known for staying true to its festival of yesteryear roots? The size.
“We’ve got some great committee members, and they have really taken some of the existing things that we’ve got to another level,” said Craig Lloyd, who, after working the festival for more than 30 years, is virtually synonymous with Hog Day. “We have probably double, if not triple, the amount of crafters and vendors than we’ve ever had before. The food vendors, in previous years, we’ve had about a dozen. This year, I think at last count, we’ve got 34 that are going to be here. It’s going to be huge. We’re going to have all kinds of food.”
Add to that more than 100 craft vendors, the main stage for music performances, the classic car show, 5K Fun Run, Pigs On Parade and, of course, the barbecue contest, and you have an event that is busting at the seams, and creating a challenge for event organizers to accommodate growth.
“We’re having to expand,” Lloyd continued. “We have gobbled up our usual space over at River Park. We’re looking at possibly having vendors at the Hillsborough Visitors Center and the old (Orange County) Courthouse. Maybe even some going down Margaret Lane. It all will be great for visibility as well.”
Lloyd attributes the participation boom to the Covid pandemic being farther in the past, and Hog Day’s reputation as a festival that is centered on traditional attractions and entertainment.
“This is one of those rare, good old-fashioned southern festivals,” he said.
This year’s festival — its 41st. — kicks off 6 p.m. Sept. 13, with the brunt of the pit work and cooking being done. The fun continues Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., during which the concert stage will come to life, a children’s play area will draw a ton of attention, visitors can vote on their favorite decorated pig sculpture, and fill their tummies with barbecue. The results of the barbecue cooking contests will be announced Saturday afternoon.
The Hog Day Brakes & Shakes Car Show will, as in years past, set up in the parking lot of Orange County Schools at 200 E. King St. The show is open to vehicles of all sorts, including cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors. Best-of trophies will be awarded. A $25 entry fee is required, and registration can be done online. Attending the car show, though, is free.
The Annual Hog Day 5K and shorter Pork Run hits the streets Saturday morning. A registration form can be filled out online. This year’s run is sponsored by UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus.
But the main attraction for Hog Day is barbecue. The festival will again be an official qualifying event for the Whole Hog Barbecue Series, which is sanctioned by the North Carolina Pork Council, and will be among the whole-hog competitions held throughout the state.
For cook teams not interested in the state competition, Hog Day will have a separate barbecue competition, although teams can compete in both events. Thousands of dollars in cash prizes are at stake in the contests.
What’s cooked throughout the contest is later sold to festival goers. In years past, the barbecue has sold out well before the Saturday sun sets, but organizers were able to overcome that issue.
“Recruiting more teams for the contest has helped take care of the problem of running out of barbecue,” Lloyd said. “We have a goal of 25 to 30 teams each year, and we’re always looking for more to participate. We want more cook teams.”
Also returning this year is Hamilton, the gigantic official pig sculpture that will be adorned with uniquely Hillsborough scenes painted by Efland artist Grace Brantley, who is originally from the Philippines.
The festival is operated solely by volunteers, many including entire families, church groups, and other organizations. Groups that help with putting on Hog Day benefit by receiving donations from festival proceeds. Lloyd said the festival always can use more volunteers, and the growing size of Hog Day has made the need even more pressing.
Title sponsor for Hog Day is Piedmont Electric Cooperative. Other sponsors include Summit Design and Engineering, Big Bear Roofing, Total Exposure Designs, WTE Solutions, Hillsborough BBQ, Clifton & Mauney Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, Hillsborough Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Duke Primary Care, US Foods, Sports Endeavors, Studio 71, Dave’s Domestic Hedgehogs, Orange County Visitors Bureau, Efland Trash Service, Hillsborough Pharmacy and Nutrition, Always Best Care Senior Services, Lumos, T-Mobile, and Carolina Achieve.
For complete Hog Day schedules and information for becoming a volunteer, sponsor, or participant, go to www.hogday.org.
