Pig Gig packs 'em in

Annual, four day event continues Bay City's non-stop summer of fun.

August 8, 2004
By: Stephen Kent

A petting zoo, rock concerts, face painting, watermellon seed spitting contests ... and some of the best bar-b-que in the mid-west; it was all on Bay City's river front for the annual Labadie Pig Gig! Perhaps it was the perfect weather, with lots of sun and mild temperatures, or the great entertainment, or just the ribs, but the crowds were in the thousands each day and everyone was having a great time.

Among the many contests and events was a good old fashioned "hula hoop" showdown. When 8 year old Kevin Halley faced off against 9 year old Darian Agudelo, it was a battle of equals. There was just no stopping these two. Finally the judges had to encourage the pair to take a break to allow the older kids to get a chance. Kevin and Darian were back on stage later for the showdown.



As soon as they entered the area, kids found a treat at the petting zoo sponsored by Whispering Pines Animal Kingdom of Lexington, Michigan. There were goats and a calf, ducks and rabbits, a baby zebra and llama and even a little kangaroo! Kids could buy ice cream cones full of feed which kept theanimals very happy and gave the kids a close up encounter. Right next door was the sand sculpture area which had an, obviously, porcine flavor and some really great, if short lived, art.

5 year old Nicholas Laflure enjoys animals.

Hogs ona corn hog!

The Pig Gig is a fund raising project which benefits a large number of charities and community organizations. Kathy Lopes and Gretcchen Irish of Created for Caring (right) sold chances to guess the number of pork rinds in their plastic containers. Besides some great prizes, the winner gets the pork rinds too! The East Shoreline Chapter ofthe American Red Cross sponsored "Randall's High Diving Racers", a perennial favorite where pigs race and perform and even dive into a large pool of water.



Unlike some recent events, there was no shortage of facilities for the Pig Gig. Pleanty of port-o-johns, convenient washing stations (an essential when eating ribs), pleanty of tables, bleachers, tents and space. The only lines were to get food, and those moved quickly.



Each evening the crowds migrated to the area under the cottonwood trees for the evening's entertainment. There was ample space for people to spread a blanket or set up their folding chairs. Other filled the bleachers that ringed the area. With Mary Wilson and the Supremems on Friday, John Waite on Saturday, and Blue Country and Emerson Drive on Sunday, there was something for everyone. Just another weekend in Bay City's non-stop summer of fun.