Come by the Democratic booth on Saturday and meet me! :D :hi:
Hey matcom, I dare you to show up and grill with the best. :evilgrin:
The festival starts on Friday night, when 36 pig cooking teams from all over the state roll into town. For the next 12 hours, whole pigs and pork shoulders roast on the cookers and tall tales are exchanged.
From around 6:00 pm until dark, musicians perform in the stage area, and a multitude of food is available for the taking.
When day breaks on Saturday, Hog Day is already bustling with activity. While vendors, who sell everything from video games to handpainted stained glass, set up in the General Merchandise, Food, and Craft areas, you hear a persistent "thunk, thunk, thunk" and you know the pig is ready. The cooking teams chop all their cooked pig and sauce a portion for the Barbecue Tasting Judges. This year, the judges include Mildred "Mama Dip" Council of Dip's Country Kitchen, Dennis Rogers, Columnist for the News and Observer, Marilyn Markel, Director of A Southern Season's Cooking School, Mary Huff, Bassist and Singer for Southern Culture on the Skids, and Charlie Cockrell, longtime Hillsborough resident and former participant in the cookoff. Led by Chief Judge David Hunt and Assistant Judge Donna Baker, the judges will compare notes and make their final decisions as to the top 5 barbecue cooking teams.
The rest is shuttled to the main tent, where it's made into sandwiches and pounds of the freshest barbecue in the state. Cash prizes and trophies are awarded for best barbecue. http://www.hogdays.com/index.html?