Hooves at the ready, Baltimore. The pig races will commence at the Pigtown Festival this Saturday.
The festival will take place Saturday from 12-7 p.m., spanning the 700-900 blocks of Washington Boulevard. While there will be live music, more than 70 vendors, local food and craft beer, and a kids’ zone, the festival also boasts Baltimore’s only pig races.
It’s called the “Squeakness.”
Kim Lane, executive director of Pigtown Main Street, told Fishbowl the Squeakness has always been a part of the festival, which celebrates its 21st year this year.
“The reason we have the pig races is because they’re kind of a tribute or a celebration of the history of Pigtown, which got its name from pigs being unloaded from the B&O Railroad, and Pigtown boundaries,” Lane said. “And then they were herded through the streets of Pigtown to the slaughterhouses. So that’s why we do the pig races. It’s kind of like as a fun tribute to how the neighborhood got its name.”
According to Lane, much of the housing in Pigtown was created for the railroad workers, and that’s how the town developed.
The pigs that race today live on a farm and are trained to race. It’s a business all unto itself.
“These racing pigs are younger, and when they’re done, they go on to live on a farm,” Lane said. “This farmer comes from Florida…. That’s how we select the farmers. You can get some closer, but we just kind of looked at their practices. As farmers and as pig racers, we are cruelty free and all that kind of stuff.”
Lane helpfully pointed out to this reporter that if she ever left reporting, she would make $5,000 per day if she went into pig racing.
Pigtown Festival only contracts with this one farmer from Florida, who does a circuit throughout festival season.
Lane said that as far as she knows, Pigtown is the only urban pig race. “I think they do a lot of country fairs and things like that, but we’re the only urban pig race,” she said.
There is a lot that goes into ensuring the health of the pigs and the surrounding audience for these races to happen.
No one is allowed to touch the pigs but the farmer. There are various forms of health documentation from a veterinarian required within a certain number of days of the event for the fair to receive a health permit to hold the race. In fact, the actual race is the shortest part of the entire event. It takes place on an oval track that this year will be about half a block long.
Lane explains that so much of the fun is in the buildup.
“The whole buildup and the race is probably about 20 minutes to a half hour. The race is the shortest part,” Lane said. “It’s the highlight. I mean, that’s what people come for the most…. They wear little color jockey things with numbers. And then the pig racer will do this whole thing and name them different names and he’ll have the crowd cheer for different ones. It’s a whole thing. It’s fun.”
All of the pigs do get treats at the end of the race, but Lane didn’t seem to know if the pigs carb-loaded before the race.
Lane said there are no rules about bacon in the stands, but the question reminded her of a funny story.
“We have a vendor who does barbecued pork. And he used to do a whole pig and we asked him to kind of butcher it. So that nobody walked by and saw kind of a pig sprawled out on a grill because it’s just a lot for kids to see,” Lane said.
So, shout out to Smokin Joe’s, who’s been at the festival almost every year, and owns a shop in Federal Hill.
Proceeds will benefit Pigtown Main Street, whose mission is to revitalize the Washington Boulevard commercial corridor – Pigtown’s main business artery – through events, support for small businesses, and clean, green, and safe initiatives.
