When pigs fly
Calhoun County's annual Hogskin Holiday Festival and Cookout
HAMPTON— The phrase “bringing home the bacon” takes on a whole new meaning when talking about Calhoun County’s Hogskin Holiday Festival and Cookout.
Calhoun County became known as “Hogskin County” during the great depression. There were a lot of large hogs running loose around Champagnollle Creek area and river bottoms of the lower part of the county.
During that time period, money was hard to come by and food was scarce for most people. Hunters from surrounding counties would come to Calhoun County where they would hunt and kill the hogs they found in the woods.
Before they took the hog home to their family, hunters would field dress the hog and leave the hog’s hide hanging on the fence or over tree limbs in the woods.
There were so many hogs hanging around the county at the time that the county became known as Hogskin County.
The name “Hogskin County” stuck around through the years and in 1992, the people of Calhoun County created a festival in honor of the legendary name.
Each year during the second weekend of April, the people celebrate their heritage with the Hogskin Holiday Festival and Pork Cook-off.
This year is the 26th festival and it is gearing up to be one for the record books.
The festival starts on April 1 and will run through April 8 and the theme for the year is “Pig Pickin’ Fun.”
Some of the residents favorite parts of the festival are the pageants, bass tournaments, horseshoe tournaments, tractor show, parade, concerts, cookoff, rodeo and the Miss Pigtails Pageant.
Thornton will kick off the festival with a barbecue dinner on from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on April 1 at the Thornton fire station.
Live music will be provided by the White Mustang Band, Jimmy Martin, the Spiritualaires and other groups. There will also be
door prizes drawn at the event.
Tickets for the event can be bought in advance for $8 or $10 at the door. Tickets for children 12 and under will be $4 each.
Thornton Step by Step is the sponsor for the kickoff. Thornton Step by Step is an organization that focuses on community improvement.
The Miss Hogskin Holidays Pageant will be held at 10 a.m. on April 1 at the fair building. The winners will receive a circle crown and the winners of the Teen and Miss divisions will also win a $500 scholarship.
To kick of the weekend festivities, the town of Hampton will host the Hogskin Holidays Parade. The parade will be held at 2 p.m. on April 7.
The parade will include the band, the Hogskin Hunnies and the "hot pink hog machine."
The bass tournament will be held all day on April 1 at the Little Bay Landing. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three bag weights, top weighing bass and the top weighing trash fish.
The horse shoe tournament will be an all day event at the fairgrounds on April 8. Sign up will take place the morning of the event from 8 to 9 a.m. and the sign up fees will be $20 for a team of two.
The Antique Tractor Show will be held at the fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 8.
The Hogskin Holidays Pork Cook-off is a huge draw every year. People from around the state will get together and see who can cook the best pig. Afterwards people can get a plate from the event.
Hogskin Holidays BBQ tickets are on sale for $10. Plates can be picked up at noon on April 8, at the fairgrounds. Plates will include 1 1/4-pound pork chop, potato salad, baked beans and a roll.
The headliner for this year’s event will be country artist Neil McCoy. He will be coming back for a second year at the festival. McCoy has released 10 studio albums and 35 music singles.
He will be performing at 7 p.m. on April 6 at the Hampton High School’s gymnasium. The tickets will be $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
Another local favorite will be the Hogskin holidays rodeo.
The rodeo is a two-day event where locals can be entertained with bull riding, calf roping, barrel racing and chuck wagon races.
Admission for the event will be $8 per person and children 5 and under will be admitted free.
The Hogskin Hunnies are always a crowd favorite.
The Hunnies have grown in popularity since the birth of the Hunnies in 1997. This “Ladies Only” mounted equestrian drill team, caries the sponsorship flags and sets the pivot points for the grand entry of the rodeo each year. They also carry sponsorship flags in the Hogskin Holidays Festival Parade.
The Hunnies have performed their fast-paced routines in rodeos and parades all over South Arkansas, but they always call Hogskin Arena and Calhoun County their home.
Wild Child, a rodeo clown who is known for his outragous stunts like jumping cars with dirtbikes, will also be at the rodeo this year.
The Little Miss Pigtails Pageant is a free pageant for all children and the judging for the event is based on the contestants' pigtails. The contestants are encouraged to be creative with their locks, and to really make themselves stand out from the crowd. The winner of each age group will receive a crown and a trophy.
For more information on upcoming events or forms to enter events, go to the festivals website, www.hogskin-holidays.com.