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Hillsborough residents unite to revive annual barbecue festival Hog Day

UNC alumnus Chip Venable brings his kids, Preston and Hannah, to the festival every year. "The kids really love it. They love the rides and the balloons and I like to have my barbecue," Venable said.

UNC alumnus Chip Venable brings his kids, Preston and Hannah, to the festival every year. "The kids really love it. They love the rides and the balloons and I like to have my barbecue," Venable said.

Earlier this year, the Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce decided the annual festival was no longer in line with their mission .

“We didn’t feel that it was in the best interest of our members for us to hold a community event,” said Margaret Cannell , the executive director of the chamber.

But the Hillsborough community wasn’t ready to let the festivities go, and the Hog Day Committee was formed. The committee will be putting on the event this year instead of the chamber.

Craig Lloyd , vice chair of the committee and former executive director of the chamber, said the committee used support from the community and help from the chamber to set things in motion.

“We have put together an all-star team of volunteers,” he said.

In the past, Hog Day has drawn crowds upward of 20,000 people with visitors and businesses coming from all over North Carolina.

This year’s event will be held on June 20 and 21 with a theme of “Taking Home the Bacon.”

While Hog Day always has plenty of sponsorships, the committee will rely on low budget marketing, such as social media, and support from the community to make the event possible, Lloyd said.

Lloyd said the Hog Day Committee hopes to have more of a community focus than the event has had in the past.

To accomplish this, the committee is calling for a Hog Day Family Reunion on the first night with a tribute slideshow with pictures from past festivals.

Mayor of Hillsborough Tom Stevens said he is happy the event is returning and that he believes the chamber made the right decision in discontinuing its role in Hog Day.

“Hog Day in many ways has symbolized the community coming together and celebrating our roots,” he said.

“It’s right and proper that a community group has stepped in to reorient Hog Day more into a community celebration.”

Lloyd emphasized Hog Day is here to stay and said the Hog Day Committee plans to continue the festival indefinitely.

“Our ultimate goal is to establish the Hog Day Committee as a nonprofit that can do a lot of good in the surrounding community,” he said.

city@dailytarheel.com

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