I've been a photographer with the Mt. Olive Pickle Company and Mount Olive Chamber of Commerce for many years now. They contract with me to photograph their large festivals and events. In November, the Mount Olive Chamber of Commerce wanted photographs of the Pickles, Pigs and Swigs event which was held in downtown Mount Olive, NC. This was the first time they asked me to cover this event.

The Pickles, Pigs and Swigs event includes a whole hog barbecue cook off. The Mt. Olive Pickle company hands out pickles and the Chamber sells barbecue plates from the meat cooked by the contestants. The swigs portion of the event featured R&R Brewing and The Country Squire. R&R Brewing sold the beer that they make and The Country Squire their wine. There were also several vendors there as well. There was musical entertainment with an all female band took to the stage. They really nailed anything by Fleetwood Mac! There was another band that followed and even though it rained, there was a decent turn out for the event.

This was a two day event with the first day consisting of the contestants setting up their tents or trailers next to their pig cookers. First, the contestants gathered at R&R Brewing to hear the contest rules from the judges. I learned quite a bit about how pigs are cooked and the details that go into making sure the contest is fair for the participants. After the meeting, the contestants travelled back to their equipment to acquire their pigs and start cooking. The pigs would be cooked all night and the judging would take place in the morning.

The next morning, time was up, and judging began for the best cooked pig! I walked around in the rain with 5 judges who were breaking up the hogs and tasting the meat and cracklings. They also tasted the homemade bbq sauces that each contestant made. The judges even handed me some to eat! It sure was good, but I didn't eat too much because greasy fingers and camera lenses don't mix well together.

The winners were announced and a husband and wife team came in first and second place. The first place winner won close to $1000 for the best cooked pig. This was a really well organized and fun event. If the weather were to cooperate in the future, it could really boost the attendance.