To see photos of the 2007 Pig Fest visit the JLGL Photo albums!

The Lakeland Pig Festival is an annual Florida State Barbecue Championship. It is a 501(c)(3) organization, with profits going to charitable organizations. The seeds for the Lakeland Pig Festival were first planted in 1994 when a small group of local businessmen, vacationing in North Carolina, attended a barbecue championship event in the town of Tryon. A festival committee was formed, a date was set, and Lakeland’s first annual Pig Festival was off and running.

What started as a small festival in 1997 has evolved into a festival with over 300 BBQ teams and over 30,000 in attendance, and is growing rapidly each year.

In 2005 JLGL became the lead organizers for this event. The transition has been very smooth and the Pig Fest Board of Directors still includes some of the individuals that originated the event. As a charitable organization, the JLGL has made the event their largest fundraiser, which will bring in the most money for their organization and for the charitable organizations to which they provide donations.

The pig festival has generated over $100,000 in contributions to charitable organizations within Polk County since 1997. Attendance at the 2006 Lakeland Pig Festival was estimated at over 30,000.  The 2008 event will be open to the public on January 25th from 5-11pm, and on January 26th from 8am-5pm.
 
Come see the sensational group Firefall performing live on Friday night!  The concert is free and open to the public.  See you there!

Click here for a map and directions to the festival location.