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.