Pigs in the City facts for kids
Pigs in the City is a fun public art event in Lexington, North Carolina, U.S. It's put on by Uptown Lexington, Inc., a group that works to make the downtown area of Lexington a lively place.
This event happens almost every year in the fall. It shows off many large, colorful pig statues. Lexington is known as the "Barbecue Capital of the World," and these artistic pigs have helped bring lots of attention to the town. Visitors come from all over North Carolina to see them, and it's completely free to attend!
History of the Pig Parade
The very first "Pigs in the City" event was held in 2003. It was a huge success! In 2004, it won an award for Best Downtown Special Event at the "North Carolina Main Street" awards. More than 40,000 people visited in that first year. After 2006, it became an event that happens every year.
To help pay for the event, people or businesses could "sponsor" one of the 20 pigs on display. This cost $1,000 for the first show. There was even a little mystery when one pig, called "Root for the Troops," went missing from its spot!
The fourth "Pigs in the City" event took place in 2008. It was called "Power of the Pig." The pigs were shown from May 23 to October 23. They were also on display during the big Lexington Barbecue Festival. This festival is a huge one-day event that brings up to 150,000 visitors to Lexington, even though the town only has about 20,000 residents!
Some of the creative names for the pigs in 2008 included Pigahontas, Mr. Porkwrench, Huckleberry Pig, and Girl Snout.
How the Pigs are Displayed
You can find these artistic pigs all around the walkways of uptown Lexington. They are placed around the entire city square. Most of the pigs are made from fiberglass. Local artists then decorate and paint each pig, giving it its own special theme.
Some of the pigs are displayed for more than one year. However, new pigs are created and added to the display for each year's event, keeping things fresh and exciting!
Gallery of Pig Art
Here are some of the pigs that have been part of the event. Some of these are now on permanent display in Lexington or at the Uptown Lexington, Inc. office.
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Carpenter pig
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Swine Lake
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Pig Pickin'
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Girl Snout
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Rain or Swine
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Digger the Caterpiggar
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Fire Hog at the Lexington Fire Dept. HQ
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Porknox
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Pigsaw
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Newbee
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Pigasus
