Hillsborough Hog Day Disappoints

I love a festival. I love a competition. I love pork. And, as part of my current exploration of all things southern, I love barbeque.

So what could be more up my ally then Hillsboro Hog Day? It sounds like so much fun. In addition to barbecue, the event promised activities such as a hog hollering contest, the area's largest antique car show, arts and craft vendors, rides, and musicians.

It started on Friday evening and continued all day on Saturday. We decided to head over on Saturday in the early afternoon, thinking that we would see some of the BBQ action and then grab lunch. I envisioned tons of smokers manned by fat guys protecting their secret sauces. Yet, when we got to the park, there was only one grill with a pig still on it. The other few were cool and packed up. The rest, I imagine, were already headed home.

I assumed that we'd be able to pick and choose who's meat we wanted to sampled. Instead all of the pork was combined (somewhere) and a single tent was selling pork either as sandwiches or by the pound. Disappointed, we ordered two sandwiches. Our disappointment grew when we saw the tubs or store-bought Cole slaw and sauces.

The sandwich itself was fine, but nothing to write home about. The rest of the event didn't bolster our opinion. Craft vendors selling crap I don't need; typical festival/street fair food, including overly sweet lemonade that I found myself sucker enough to purchase for $3.50; and second-rate rides that I wouldn't feel safe enough to put my child on.

The music was a pleasant surprise, but the hog-hollering contest took the cake as the worst part of the day. With a call for all of the kids to participate, none of the adults running the contest was willing to demonstrate what a hog call even was. In the end, a few kids timidly oinked and snorted into the microphone. I decided at that was my cue to leave.

Raleigh Races for the Cure

On Saturday, June 13, Kevin and I took the baby out for his first road race. Both Kevin and I have run our share of races in the past, but running with a stroller posed a new set of challenges for us. The baby really enjoys going out in the jogging stroller so that wasn't the problem. In fact, he slept through most of the event. The problem also wasn't managing with the stroller. After a few awkward runs, we have gotten used to that.

( Photo by Kathleen MacGuire, Copyright 2008 Capitol Broadcasting Company)

The one thing that kept this race from being great was the number of participants. There was a competitive race earlier in the day, which meant that all the serious runners were finished by the time we started. Also, we knew that we had to stay toward the back of the pack with the jogging stroller. Still, we weren't expecting was the size of the crowd. With nearly 25,000 participant, the Triangle area race ranks as the twentieth largest race among the 100 plus Susan Kolmen races and the largest road race in the state of North Carolina.

It took us nearly five minutes to cross the start line. Then, after another five minutes of walking -- hoping that the crowds would clear up -- Kevin offered to walk with the stroller while I ran the course. I had been running once a week with a group of other new mothers getting ready for the race, so I took him up on the offer and left the two of them in the dust.

What amazed me was that, over the next three miles I continued to pass walkers. I don't know if these people started running, then stopped, or if there were just that many people in the race. Along the way I was moved to see the number of people wearing either survivor bids as well as signs saying they were running in memory or in support of someone fighting breast cancer. Even if you are not interested in the exercise aspect of the race, it is a worthwhile even just to see how many people this disease effects.

Thank you to everyone who supported my team. We raised $230!