April 12, 2024
Pork in the Park is back this year and will take place on Friday, April 19 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and on Saturday, April 20 from 11 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The event will take place in Memorial Park and the surrounding downtown area.
Back this year is the Friday night portion of the event, allowing vendors to sell their product for an additional day. Live music will be downtown during this time from 5:30 – 8 p.m. with The Brendan Roberts Band.
The Newberry County Chamber of Commerce along with the Newberry Opera House will have a beer wagon along Boyce Street throughout the event on both Friday and Saturday. Bridget Carey, tourism and events manager for the city said there would be an ID station and patrons should plan to have their ID with them if they planned to purchase alcohol.
A total of 20 teams are expected and will be downtown for Saturday’s competition and they range from locals to those travelling from as far away as Waxhaw, NC.
The three categories during this year’s event include Boston butt, chicken, and ribs. Sanctioned by the Southern Barbecue Network, the judges for the event are primarily looking for tenderness, texture, flavor and presentation, Carey said.
The judges have been certified through a training process and attend many events similar to Pork in the Park.
Judging will take place at the Firehouse Conference Center. Awards will be given out following the end of the competition at 3 p.m. with first, second and third place for each category as well as the grand champion and reserved grand champion. Winners will be announced from the music stage in Memorial Park.
In a continued effort to showcase vendors in the competition, Carey said the sample cups will be discontinued again for this year’s event. However, food will be available for purchase from the eight teams that are vending as well as competing. The other teams will be competition only, Carey said and will be in a separate area from those vending.
Cash is recommended for patrons purchasing food as not all vendors will accept cards, Carey said.
The event area encompasses Main Street from Nance to Caldwell Street, Boyce Street from Nance to Caldwell Street, McKibben Street from Boyce to Main Street and Caldwell Street from Boyce to Main Street. Street closures will begin Friday afternoon and those shopping and dining downtown on Friday are encouraged to use parking lots close by.
Free inflatables for children during Pork in the Park can be found on Main Street, Carey said. An interactive map with all activities can be found by visiting the event’s website, www.newberryporkinthepark.com.
In addition to the smell of barbecue filling the streets of Newberry, there will also be live music in Memorial Park Saturday to Bluegrass Remedy from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and Josh Boatwright from 1:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. when competition winners are announced. While there will be tables and chairs set up in Memorial Park, visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs to set up and listen to music.
The Blood Connection will be on site Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. To make an appointment, guests can visit thebloodconnection.org or use the link: https://tinyurl.com/4ss4294a.
The Newberry Arts Center will also be set up at the corner of Main and Caldwell Streets (by the arts center) from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. for their Empty Bowls project. Patrons can purchase a handmade, empty bowl for themselves or as a gift, with all proceeds going to local food banks. The bowl serves as an invisible reminder that people go to bed hungry each night.
More information on Pork in the Park can be located online at www.newberryporkinthepark.com or by contacting the city’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism office at (803) 321-1015.
