The barbecue sold out. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
Members of the UMO baseball team prepping and selling barbecue. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
R&R Brewing provided the swigs. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
All ages enjoyed Saturday’s event (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
Blue skies and sunshine made it a perfect day for a festival. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
Children enjoyed the inflatable. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
Alexis Alicea and her dog Bee came from Raleigh. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
Dr. William Farmer, associate professor of animal science at UMO. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
UMO Animal Science Club members sell merchandise to raise money for club activities. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
2025 Pickles, Pigs & Swigs Whole Hog Cook Off Winners: 1st Place, far right, Dana Peterson; 2nd Place, second from right, Chris Fineran; 3rd Place, Jason Baker, second from left. Also shown are Eric Collins, far left, and Steve Sumner, center. (Courtesy photo)
Saturday’s sunshine provided the best weather in the Pickles, Pigs & Swigs festival’s 5-year history, according to organizer Julie Beck, who declared the 2025 event in downtown Mount Olive a success.
“We had perfect weather, great bands, fun entertainment for children and we raised funds for Mount Olive Downtown Development Corporation,” she said, describing the festival as a fun signature event for downtown. “We wanted to create an event for the fall, and due to people loving BBQ, pickles and craft beer, we initiated the Pickles, Pigs and Swigs Festival.”
About 1,600 pounds of pork barbecue was prepared and sold during the festival’s whole hog barbecue cookoff, and the number of cook teams was up this year from the last three years. “We were very happy about that,” said Beck. “Our prize money is some of the highest offered in the state so that draws a lot of cook team to our event.”
Friday night signaled the start of the competition, and this year 16 cooking teams set up their cookers in the Mount Olive Town Hall/Southern Bank parking lot to cook throughout the night. They received their hogs at 8 p.m., and judging started Saturday at 8 a.m. The entry fee is $100 per team.
Winners were decided by a panel of four judges from the North Carolina Pork Council.
Around noon Saturday, Dana Peterson with Showtime’s Legit BBQ of Benson was declared the winner and took home the $1,200 first place prize. Coming in second and earning a $600 prize was Chris Fineran with Beach Boys BBQ from Longs, S.C. Third place and a $300 prize went to Jason Baker with Baker Boys BBQ of Goldsboro.
The Pickles, Pigs & Swigs pig cookoff is sanctioned by the N.C. Pork Council, which means those who compete earn points that qualify them to compete in the state N.C. Pork Council Whole Hog Barbecue Cookoff. Pickles, Pigs & Swigs is part of the Whole Hog Barbecue Series.
This was not the first time the winners had taken part in the Mount Olive event.
“Many of our winners return each year to participate,” Beck said. “They love our event!”
In addition to the pig cookoff, vendors were on hand selling drinks, snacks, vacations, BBQ sauces, crafts and other items. There were inflatables and pickle train rides for children. Local band 581 South from Goldsboro and Zack Lee & Band of Mount Olive provided musical entertainment throughout the day.
Altogether about 45 volunteers give their time to help make the annual event a success. Members of the University of Mount Olive baseball team assisted with the chop tent where the barbecue from the cookoff is sold by the sandwich or by the pound. Others assist with the merchandise tent and children’s activities.
Not only is the annual festival a fun event for the community, it’s also an opportunity to introduce Wayne County’s second largest town to visitors. It provides a welcome economic boost to the town.
Alexis Alicea, her 11-year-old shih tzu Bee comfortable in a stroller, said they decided to come to Pickles, Pigs and Swigs because it was the closet BBQ festival to her home in Raleigh. She described the barbecue as “very good” and said coming to the event was a day well spent.
Beck said the event typically raises $4,000 to $6,000, and the funds are donated to the Mount Olive Downtown Development Corporation, which uses the money for downtown revitalization. In the past, DDC has used to funds to purchase new park benches, UMO banners, large flower planters and to host a Downtown Block Party for UMO. DDC also has given businesses funds for facade upgrades that improve the appearance of downtown.
According to Beck, attendance this year was not the largest in the festival’s history, but she was pleased with the turnout. “There are lots of events that occur on Veterans Day weekend, and we compete against them for attendees,” she said
The festival isn’t intended to compare to Mount Olive’s better known spring event, the North Carolina Pickle Festival. “We purposely choose to keep it small, less than 3,000 attendees,” Beck explained.
