Great Arkansas Pig Out 2009 in Morrilton Great Arkansas Pig Out:

LITTLE ROCK — (Editor's Note: The following article was compiled by the Great Arkansas Pig Out Committee and posted on the festival's Web site.) More than 20 years ago, a small group of people noticed that the town of Morrilton was in need of something to raise the overall morale and bring the town together for a time of fun and entertainment at little or no cost.

So the idea came to start a festival and when the second week of August rolled around, the first Great Arkansas Pig Out was launched.

The festival, the concerted effort of volunteers and sponsored by the Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce, kicked off at Sacred Heart Catholic School with a dinner, and then moved down to its current location, the City Park. In the park, there were all sorts of booths containing vendors offering things from arts and crafts to face painting to the main thing people thinkof when they think of Pig Out - food. There was barbecue, homemade ice cream, gumbo, watermelon, sausage on a stick, hamburgers, lemonade, and shrimp - almost anything a person wanted could be found. And if that wasn't enough, the Pig Out Committee also sponsored a hot dog-eating contest and watermelon-eating contest.

The Great Arkansas Pig Out was living up to its name. Additionally, there were games and live entertainment added to raise the level of fun. And whatwould a festival with a pig as its mascot be without a muddy, slippery Pig Chase? With all this fun, food, and entertainment and the thousands that came to participate, the Great Arkansas Pig Out had ensured success and would return for years to come.

The next year, the Pig Out was extended to a three-day festival. The same traditions were continued through that were started the first year. Food, fun, and family were and still are the main focus of the Pig Out.

As the festival grew, so did the quality of the entertainment. The Pig Out has continually provided free concerts of up-andcoming and classic favorites of the country music world. Andin turn, as the entertainers grew more famous, so did the Pig Out.

Along with the crowds and entertainment, the food, craft vendors and the children's activities have grown to accommodate crowds that can and often have easily multiplied Morrilton's population four or five times. Professional food vendors now come in offering an array of new tempting treats. Ranging from classic funnel cakes and hamburgers to chicken on a stick and fried Twinkies, the Pig Out lives up to the expectations of all that hear its name. There is more than ample opportunity to go hog wild and pig crazy on food.

The crafts grow every year with all sorts of neat intricacies and knickknacks, along with Tshirts, furniture and the occasional water-balloon yo-yo. The Pig Out has offered its patrons a wide array of these crafters and has done so throughout its long history.

And the kids aren't forgotten either. The Great Arkansas Pig Out Committee strives to make the festival as much fun for the kids as it is for the adults. Every year Pig Out has brought in kidfriendly entertainers, slides and rides, and activities such as Mad Science and face painting.

The Pig Out has also got the corner on the realm of sports.Every year, Pig Out has had a tennis tournament and 5K run, and as the years progressed, so did the number of sporting events.

The Pig Out has made many changes over the years, from adding and taking away some attractions to changing the very length of the festival itself. In 2001, the Pig Out was once again shortened to a two-day festival. This was to maximize the amount of events in a day and to keep the people entertained the whole time instead of spreading it out.

And as the first weekend in August isn't the coolest time of year in Arkansas, the committee has decided to move Pig Out to June to allow more individuals in the community to attend and not have to battle the intense August heat.

The Pig Out has had a long history filled with food, fun and a lot of bad piggy jokes. And the most amazing thing about it all?

The festival has been continually planned and prepared for by volunteers.

Everyone on the Pig Out committee takes time out of their lives to plan and work Pig Out, and that speaks loads about the people of a town of a little more than 6,000 that can attract more than 30,000 others to come and visit.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 148 on 06/21/2009