Hog Calling in Hillsborough

This weekend, the Town of Hillsborough is hosting its 27th annual Hillsborough Hog Day Festival, which features live music, hog calling competitions, and (literally) tons upon tons of fresh-cooked barbecue. Hog Day is the biggest annual festival in Orange County, attracting over 30,000 people most years. This year's festival will open its doors at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, and will run through 6:00 p.m. on Saturday evening.

The festival is held throughout downtown Hillsborough, but its headquarters are at the Cameron Park Elementary School grounds at 240 St. Mary's Road.

On Friday night, admission to the festival is free, provided you bring a donation of canned food for the Orange Congregations in Mission. Friday night festival goers will get a chance to enjoy performances by local musicians Vintage Blue and the Wells Family Band and get to watch the barbecue cook-off participants get down to business.

Admission to Saturday's Hog Day events is $5.00 for folks ages 12 and older. Children under 12 get in for free. Saturday's activities include live music, a classic car cruise-in and kid-friendly games and rides.

And though it's Hog Day, festival goers aren't allowed to be pigs: this year's Hog Day is going to be "trash free". All utensils, plates and other items used to prepare or serve food at the festival will be biodegradable (no plastic allowed!) and will be composted. The festival's food waste will be composted as well.