First there were three, then eight.
Now, more than 20.
The Pork & Beats Festival is growing, and the third annual’s entries to the pig cooking contest is testament to the success. Like any good thing people don’t know about, they just need to be made aware.
With any good thing, the rest just takes care of itself.
The Pork & Beats Festival has had two successful runs. Somewhat a reincarnation of a festival tribute to swine here about a quarter century ago, the idea of Mike Shaw and the efforts of many seems like a no-brainer for any number of North Carolina communities.
Thankfully, we have it.
Barbecue is North Carolina, no doubt about that. Celebrating it is a no-brainer. That Elizabethtown has added another destination event for the county and it is growing is surely an encouraging sign. It joins a solid lineup that includes sidewalk sales, the tale of a beast in Bladenboro, and celebrations of White Lake and Dublin’s peanuts.
There’s a heck of an argument, perhaps never to be settled, on whether the style in the western part of the state is best or if that distinction lies with the eastern part of the state. In other words, we have the pride for what we do statewide, and we’ll argue to the death about how to do it right on top of that.
Regardless of which, both sides know barbecue is a noun. We can’t say the same for folks beyond the state border. Tsk, tsk.
Hog farming provides 46,000 jobs and is an $11 billion industry in our state. In our neck of the woods, we’ve got plenty of friends and neighbors we see at church, in the grocery store and at ball games benefiting from this Old North State staple.
Add to that, there’s few among us who haven’t been to a pig pickin’ for any number of special occasions.
Yes, this fits. And why not Elizabethtown?
The Cape Fear Farmer’s Market becomes ground zero as we welcome the world to our slice of paradise.
In addition to the competition for cooking barbecue, there will be plenty of other attractions for the young and old among us.
As they did a year ago, the BlackWater Rhythm & Blues Band offers the free concert as a climax of the festivities on Saturday. Based in Clarkton, they’ll bring Carolinas beach music, blues and funk to the stage.
Several community businesses are stepping up to provide sponsorship. Tell ’em “Thanks!” next time you see their people.
We’ll be swept up in Thanksgiving in two weeks, then Black Friday, Shop Local Saturday, Christmas parades and the rush of holiday parties.
But for this weekend, we’ll pause, with a simple plan.
Pork, and the beats of Blackwater.
See you Saturday.