Promising good Lakeland BBQ and ‘cue from parts both local and afar, the 15th Annual Lakeland Pigfest is set for January 28-29, 2011 at the Tiger Town Complex in Lakeland, Florida.  If the 2010 Lakeland Pig Fest is any indication of what we’re in store for this year, then let me tell you that you’d better get your bib and rib eatin’ game face on!

BBQ That Tastes Good and is Good For You!

Not only does the BBQ cooked up at the Lakeland Pig Fest taste good, it’s good for you… and for the Lakeland community, too!  See, the event’s proceeds go to local Lakeland, Florida area charities via the efforts of the good folks over at the Junior League of Greater Lakeland.   To date, they’ve given $500,000 back to the Lakeland community, and we are very thankful for their continued efforts and support.   Read more about the Lakeland Junior League’s charity efforts.

History of the Lakealnd Pig Fest

The origins of the Lakeland Pig Fest date back to 1994, when a small group of local businessmen, vacationing in North Carolina, attended a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned barbeque championship in Tryon, North Carolina.   As interest grew in the community, then Governor Lawton Chiles signed a request for the formal sanctioning of the Lakeland Pig Festival as a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) State Championship on On November 19,1996. Finally, a date was set to bring a barbeque championship to Lakeland, and on March 21, 1997 the Lakeland Pig Festival was born.

In the beginning, the goals of the Lakeland Pig Festival were pretty simple:

• Raise money for local charitable organizations;
• Create an relaxing event for all walks of life;
• Eat some world-class barbeque!

As with any new contest, there were several years of trial and error trying to find the perfect “recipe” for success. During these early years, the contest was held in March or April; however, in 2000 a decision was made to move the contest to late-January.

Each successive year has brought more contestants and greater attendance. But nothing was possible without the dedication of community volunteers.

In 2004, a Kids-Q Contest was added, and immediately became a permanent part of the event.

In 2008, Pigfest was expanded to include Friday evening activities. With the addition of live music and entertainment, fun food competition, and BBQ vending, the event continued to be a great success. To date, the Lakeland Pig Festival has contributed nearly $500,000 to local charities and is recognized nationally as one of the best Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) BBQ events in the country.

The mission of the Lakeland Pig Festival, Inc. is to continue to promote and improve the event as it has since it’s beginning, so that it is enjoyed by the participants and our community and serves the charitable organizations of the greater Lakeland area and we are proud to report that this mission continues to be met!