Local News
Crowds get their fill at Pig Fest
JACOB HENSLEY
Published: December 3, 2012
SEBRING - Firemen's Field in Sebring was filled Friday night and Saturday at the eighth annual Central Florida BBQ Festival, or Pig Fest.Published: December 3, 2012
Vendors and competitors from all over the state, including Port Charlotte and Lakeland, came to fire up their smokers and filled them with meat Friday night for the festivities Saturday.
Live music, a car show and many booths selling food all took place.
"This has been one of our bigger years," said Charlie Taylor, president of Sebring Firemen Inc. and director of this year's Pig Fest. "The good weather and moving the date seemed to have helped a lot."
Taylor said he was excited about this year's turnout, attributing much of the increase to the snowbirds coming. This is Taylor's first year running the barbecue festival, and he estimates there were between 7,000 and 8,000 people present between the two days.
Around 30 teams signed up for this year's Pig Fest. Some show up only to compete, but most also act as vendors, selling food to the public. Everything pig-related could be found, from ribs to sausages to pulled pork, on almost every menu. Brisket and pies and other food could also be found and were judged.
Large tents were set up so the public could sit and eat and talk with friends or listen to the music being provided by local bands. After a long day of cooking, the festivities ended when Taylor announced the winners of the cook-off.
Swamp Boys earned the top prize as grand champion and a check for $1,500. The Get-R-Smoked team came in as reserve grand champion, winning a prize of $1,000. The money collected by Sebring Firemen Inc. will go toward local youth sports and other activities in Sebring.