What is Hillsborough Hog Day?

A better question would be "What isn't Hillsborough Hog Day?"

Now celebrating its 28th Anniversary, Hillsborough Hog Day offers family fun, good food, live music, crafters, merchandise vendors, games and rides, and the area's largest classic auto show.

The festival starts on Friday night, when 36 pig cooking teams from all over the state roll into town. For the next 12 hours, hams and pork shoulders roast on the cookers and tall tales are exchanged. The gates will open at 6:00 pm for a concert beginning at 7:00 pm featuring local performers Vintage Blue and The Wells Family Band from Clayton!!

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. Led by Chief Judge David Hunt, the judges will compare notes and make their final decisions as to the top 5 barbecue cooking teams. Judges for 2009 include Ed Mitchell, the Pitmaster (Executive Chef at The Pit Restaurant in Raleigh) , Walter Royal, Executive Chef at The Angus Barn in Raleigh and Mel Melton of Papa Mojo's Road House (and Mel Melton and the Wicked Mojos). They are to be saluted for tasting 31 different barbecues at 8:30 am!

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 (click here for an Application).

The Triangle Thunder Cruisers will present the area's largest car show, with a cruise-in featuring hot-rods, street rods, classics and vintage automobiles from all over the area. Formed in July, 2007, the Triangle Thunder Cruisers were initially a group of men, small business owners, professionals and the working force mixed in age and race who got together and formed the Triangle Thunder Cruisers with the intent of being a positive impact to the Triangle cities' youth and civic community. Their message is a simple one and they offer young men the opportunity to tag along with them rather than roam the street in gangs. They encourage their members to each sponsor a youth headed in the wrong direction and bring him along to cruises, car shows and civic duties.

On the stage, the band is warming up for a day full of fine music. In 2007, we welcomed The Doc Branch Band, The Craig Woolard Band, Mighty Lester, Terry Anderson & the OAK Team, and American Idol Contestant Heather Cox! Past performers have included The Derek Trucks Band, The Two Dollar Pistols, Coastline Band, Stillhouse, Tres Chicas, Chatham County Line, Mike Cross General Johnson and the Chairman of the Board, and many other locally and nationally famous performers. Come early to get a good seat for the performers!

And the best part: admission to this festival is $5 per person, kids 12 and under free. What an entertainment bargain!

Orange County's largest festival, with attendance of up to 35,000 people, is always held on the 3rd Saturday of June, so mark your calendars.

Hillsborough Hog Day is presented by the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce.

For more information about the Chamber, click here, or call the Chamber at 919-732-8156