Whole Hog Festival

Things are gearing up for John Maher Builders Whole Hog Festival, which gets bigger and better every year. Last year, more than seven thousand people turned out for the family-friendly event that offers something for everyone – and all for a good cause. Profits from the festival support The Well Outreach, which operates food pantries in Spring Hill and in Mount Pleasant to help families in need. 

Set for Saturday, October 5th, on the grounds of the historic Oak Lawn Mansion, the festival will offer live music, crafts, a kid's zone full of fun things to do, a host of other activities, and plenty of food, with 20 food trucks on-site. As you might expect, a lot of that food will be pork-themed.  

"We'll have Martin's BBQ providing a whole hog," says Shelly Sassen, Chief Executive Officer for The Well Outreach. "We'll have pork rinds, flavored bacon, street tacos with carnitas (cuts of pork), barbecue, ribs, hot dogs, and much more. 

Two pork-related contests that have proven very popular in the past will also be back. One has contestants calling hogs, the other – eating bacon.  

Seven bands will be providing live music throughout the day, forty different vendors will display their wares as part of a regional craft fair, and there will be some very cool attractions for kids. 

"Last year, we had a huge foam pit (set up by Foamboree) that was a really big draw for the kids, and we'll have that again this year," Sassen says. "And this year, we're adding a kids' stage where we'll have local dance companies, gymnastics studios, and local children performing music, all from that stage."

The festival has grown bigger through the years, even as the mission it supports has evolved. 

When it first started in 2005, it was called the Country Ham Festival. It took a break in 2018, then John Maher Builders brought it back in 2019 with a new name and a partnership with The Well Outreach. Over the past five years, the festival has served as a fundraiser for The Well's Spring Hill food pantry, which helps families who cannot buy groceries on their own. Sassen says her organization is grateful to host an event that brings everyone together for a fun time, then uses the profits to support those in need. 

"The story of The Well is that we see broken and hurting people daily, and we're so thankful we have the community to come alongside us to support this need."

The need continues to grow so dramatically that The Well Outreach opened a second food pantry in Mount Pleasant earlier this year. 

"This time last year, we were serving about 1200 families a month," Sassen explains, "and now we're serving over 2000 families a month through our two food pantries."

So, the Whole Hog Festival, those in the community who support it, and the many sponsors and vendors behind it - can celebrate a very good time had by all, and at the same time, make a positive difference. 

This year's festival runs from 10am to 5:30pm. Tickets are $5 for adults, kids under the age of five get in free. 

Organizers are grateful to the festival's many sponsors including John Maher Builders, and Benton Nissan of Columbia which is this year's stage and sound sponsor.

If you'd like to support The Well Outreach beyond the festival, you can make a monthly donation of $30, which buys a family $250 worth of groceries, donate food, or volunteer at either the Spring Hill or Mount Pleasant food pantry. To learn more, visit: https://thewelloutreach.org/