Pig Fest returns to Carmichaels
The square in Carmichaels Borough will be filled on Saturday with the fresh aromas of pigs-in-a-blanket, stuffed cabbage, cabbage rolls, or whatever your family likes to call them.
Native to the ethnic cuisines of the Balkans and Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe, the cooked cabbage leaves wrapped around a mixture of various fillings is the heart of the town’s 18th Annual Pig Fest, set for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 4 in the town square.
The event is known throughout the community for hosting a cabbage roll cooking contest, where contestants submit two of their best rolls to a panel of three judges.
“The rolls are judged on taste, texture and appearance,” said Joy Morgan, stewart of American Legion Post 400. “The first-place winner will receive a trophy and $25 in cash. The second-place winner will receive a ribbon and $15 in cash, and the third-place winner will received a ribbon and $10 in cash.”
Morgan said there will be plenty of vendors selling jewelry, purses, crafts, decorations and of course cabbage rolls among other warm dishes.
Other activities include face painting and games for children, various Chinese auctions including fall and Halloween baskets and a Steeler’s jersey and music by local disc jockey Tony Cooke.
The festival is being organized by the American Legion Post 400 for the first time this year and was organized for the previous seven years by the Carmichaels Band Boosters.
The first Pig Fest was organized in 1997 by the Carmichaels Borough to offer a fall festival to the community. The council men and women at the time decided to focus the event on food, and chose cabbage rolls as they are a well-known comfort dish in the area.