Clear your calendar for this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 27-28) for the 26th annual Lakeland Pigfest.

Now on to this year’s happenings. The 26th annual Pigfest will take place on Fri., Jan. 27 from 5-10 p.m. and again on Sat., Jan. 28 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus (4075 James C. Ray Dr.) with over 150 teams competing in barbecue competitions.

Lakeland Pigfest | Photo via @LakelandPigFest

Parking at the event is free, and admission is $5 for those 13 and older. You can catch live musicfrom The Free Whiskey Band and Almost There on Friday and Matt Walker Trio and The Rusty Wright Band on Saturday.

The very first iteration of the festival took off on March 21, 1997, after locals visited a similar-style event in Kansas City in 1994. At its original inception, the Pigfest team vowed to incorporate three key components:

🐖 It must have a charitable cause.

🐖 It must provide a relaxing and inclusive atmosphere.

🐖 It must serve up the best barbecue.

Fast forward to 2000, the event changed its date to late January to better accommodate locals. Pigfest added a Kids-Q Contest in 2004, and an additional day, Friday, in 2008.

The 24th KidsFest | Photo via @LakelandPigFest

Over the past 26 years, this hometown event has raised nearly $500,000 for nearby charities and was dubbed “one of the best Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) BBQ events in the country.”

If you attend the event this weekend, be sure to tag us in your photos so we can see what fun you’re having.