Preble County Pork Festival
Walking into the pork festival you hear announcements for a pig race. You walk around and look at all the different booths, ranging from jewelry to country crafts to food spices. The changing aromas catch you off guard. At one point it smells like candy, at another point like pork. Attracting people from near and far, the pork is the biggest attraction.
This year’s festival took place on Sept. 19th and 20th. Getting there early “benefits you very much” said a Ross, Ohio resident attending the festival. Walking around early morning, around ten o’clock, is very peaceful. As the day goes on more people come and kids are running around asking for money to buy their favorite food or craft. Around lunch time is chaos, so many people are in line for pork it’s hard to walk around. Out of five people, three said they come mainly for the food, then just walk around after they eat.
Going into the “Smorgasbord”, which opened at 11:30, was very organized. The line was long but what can you expect for great food? Although it was long, the line moved fast. As we walked into the barn that the food was in, there was an overwhelming aroma of pork. The smorgasbord included three types of pig; fried sausage, honey ham, and of course pork. An anonymous eater replied that the pork chops got a lot better, they were “excellent this year” they said.
All the pork is fresh and they sell it, along with apple cider slushies and caramel apples, in a building near the smorgasbord for anyone who wants to take some home.
If you’re looking for the old “country” decorations, this is the place to go. After looking around, there was three or four different exhibitors who sold the decor. Amanda used to make her own crafts, although now she buys and then sells them so she doesn’t have to make them. “I’ve been selling here for five years,” Amanda said, “each year I miss making my own crafts more and more”. She likes most of the people at the festival saying “most are nice country people”.
For several years, there was a “Farm-City day” where people would gather and create a better understanding between the farm community and the growing urban community. In 1970, several members of the original community got together to discuss the continuation or a different program. Four people visited the Pork festival in Tipton, Indiana after the idea was discussed. The board was formed by a husband and wife from each of the twelve townships. The pork festival is very natural for Preble County, as South West Ohio is claimed to be “The Home of Swine Improvement in America.” The festival became a lot more popular after Billy DeWolfe, a famous actor, was caught speeding on I-70 through Preble County. Proceeds from the festival are used to expand the festival; the Bruner Area Swine Complex, electrical distribution, sanitary sewer trunk, storage building, and a kitchen. The festival also gives two scholarships a year in the memory of Tim. H. Miller who was the festival chairmen for twenty-one years and whom much of the credit for success goes to.
