Highlighting history, community and, of course, pigs, the Preble County Pork Festival will return on Sept. 21 and 22

The Preble County Pork Festival will return this weekend, Sept. 21 and 22, for its 53rd iteration highlighting history, community and, of course, pigs.  

The festival, located in Eaton, attracts 75,000 people over two days and has an economic impact of 1.4 million dollars for the rural county, according to the festival president of the board of directors, Zach Shafer.  

A staple of the community since its debut in 1970, the pork festival will continue its tradition of honoring the county’s meat-production traditions, with some new additions to the celebration.  

New this year is the Hog Haus Beer and Wine Garden, highlighting domestic and craft beers, as well as a concert on Saturday night featuring Easton Corbin, Jason Michael Carroll and Alexis Gomez. 

Despite the addition of food and music, the food is still the star of the festival. According to Shafer, the festival produces all of the food itself with the help of volunteers.  

“All of the pork chops that are consumed at the pork festival are all hand-cut by the board of directors and a team of between 12 to 20 people and then all of the pork chops are hand-verified,” he said. “And to be honest with you, that’s really what makes the pork festival happen.” 

After being cut and inspected by the volunteers, the food is sold to customers as pork chops, ribs, deli ham, bacon (another new addition this year) and more. Festivalgoers can choose from a variety of dining experiences as well, such as the all-you-can-eat breakfast, the smorgasbord or even the meat market, where guests can take home fresh cuts of pork.  

Although the food may be in the minds of many attendees, Shafer says that the festival means much more than just a meal. “It’s a good way to attract people from outside of our community to see what small-town, rural farming life is,” he said. “Part of the festival’s mission is preserving our past and remembering where Preble County has come from, what we’ve derived from.” 

Moreover, the festival also emphasizes investing back into the community, offering many education appointees for guests to learn about Preble County as well as offering seven $1,000 scholarships.  

The Preble County Pork Festival will take place Sept. 21 and 22. Admission and parking are free.