By ROBERT BAKER
Item Staff Writer
bbaker@theitem.com
MANNING — The scents of home cooked Southern delicacies like shrimp and grits and red chicken stew will permeate downtown Manning this evening as the 3rd Annual PigTales Barbecue Festival returns to Manning Municipal Park.
The festival, which benefits the Harvin Clarendon County Library, will begin at 6 p.m. and run through Saturday, featuring the “Anything But Pork” contest as its main event tonight.
“This is where we have the cookers make their own favorite dishes,” said festival organizer Jane Powell. “Last year, I think we had samplings of catfish stew, Brunswick stew, shrimp and grits, and red chicken stew, among other things the cookers made that night.”
The festival began in 2007 as a joint effort between the Friends of the Library and The Item and The Clarendon Sun to raise extra money for the library.
The event features food and live entertainment, the latter of which will be provided tonight by the Headliners, who will offer their eclectic mix of contemporary and shag music.
“They play everything from shag music to dance music to contemporary music,” Powell said. “They’re a wonderful, terrific band.”
Local dance teams from schools and churches and a karaoke contest will round out the entertainment options as the festival continues at 10 a.m. Saturday with 11 cookers competing to determine who can best cook a hog.
“On Friday and Saturday we will have tastings,” Powell said. “People can buy tickets (for $1 each) and they will give the tickets to the cookers to get a taste of what they’ve got.”
Powell said a team of about 15 judges will decide the overall winner and two runners-up.
For the PigTales Karaoke Contest, which is being held for the first time, local singers will try out their talents from a list of preselected songs.
Tad Graham, owner of Geddings’ Hardware, serves as a disc jockey at weddings and other functions and is in charge of the contest.
“We’ll have two categories: 16 and under and 17 and older,” said Lindy Graham, Tad’s wife. “The judging will be by applause, so people will need to bring support with them.”
First prize will be $25.
“We’re going to have a big variety of music, everything from oldies to ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s and country,” Graham said.
Powell said the festival raised more than $10,000 last year for the library, which was able to use the funds to purchase new computers and DVD materials for the mobile library and provide summer reading programs.
A popular event at the festival is the Friends of the Library Used Book Sale, which features everything from science fiction to classic literature to political fare.
“Their big fundraising means a lot to the library,” library Director Marilyn Tsirigotis told The Item in August. “We give back a little bit, and they give to us.”
Contact Staff Writer Robert Baker at bbaker@theitem.com or (803) 435-8511.
PIGTALES HIGHLIGHTS
Anything But Pork Contest
6 p.m. today
Manning Municipal Park
Corner of Church and Boyce streets, downtown Manning
Tickets to taste food are $1 per person; free admission
PigTales Barbecue Contest
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Manning Municipal Park
Corner of Church and Boyce streets, downtown Manning
Tickets to taste food are $1 per person; free admission
Go to http://www.mrred.scom/ For more abut Barbecue
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