WHEN THE summer weather rolls into Franklin County, it brings with it the annual High on the Hog festival. This year was the 36th year that our Kiwanis Club hosted this celebration to raise money for Franklin County’s local charities. This eight-day event brought local residents and visitors together to enjoy a carnival, a barbecue contest with over $7,000 in cash and trophies for the winning teams, a poker run, a cruise in, a Disc Golf tournament, a craft fair, a 5K, and live music. For eight days, festival-goers could shop local vendors, eat amazing barbecue, dance to live music and ride carnival rides.
The backyard barbecue competition cooked up some delicious entries, with over 54 teams from all over the country traveling to Winchester to participate in this Kansas City Barbecue sanctioned contest. These teams were competing for thousands of dollars in cash and trophies. Laughs, food, and prizes were shared in this annual event, and the community was glad to host 65 judges for this contest. The other competitive events included a Disc Golf and cornhole contest. Winchester invited the community to show up for some friendly competition, and we saw trophies and cash prizes go home with the lucky winners.
This year’s festival saw the return of the craft fair. The craft fair adds another layer of activities for our community and offers a unique shopping experience while highlighting local makers. The carnival was another repeating event to the festival, and this year was the first time we saw it open on a Sunday. If you visited the festival on Friday night, you would have enjoyed live music by Buddy Jewell. The variety of things to do left every visitor entertained.
This event is a fun summer tradition and an important charitable event for the community. The Kiwanis Club raises money for various local charities at this event and also serves as an excellent opportunity to stimulate the local economy. For 35 years, this annual event has grown into the eight-day event we know today. Winchester attracted visitors from all over the country to compete in and judge the barbecue competitions. The High on the Hog festival rings in the beginning of summer with food, music, laughs, games, and prizes. This festival had something to offer everyone and provided a fun opportunity to get involved and give back. GN