[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15743]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             IN CELEBRATION OF THE 33RD ANNUAL BIG PIG JIG

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 2014

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
the 33rd Annual Big Pig Jig held in Vienna, Georgia on November 7-8, 
2014. Sponsored by the Dooly County Chamber of Commerce, the Big Pig 
Jig is Georgia's Official Memphis Barbecue Network (MBN) State Barbecue 
Cooking Championship. Thousands of people from all over joined the 
residents of Vienna to enjoy the finest barbecue in the world at this 
widely celebrated pig-cooking contest this year.
  In 1982, a group of talented chefs living in Vienna, Georgia made a 
bet on who could prepare the best barbecue. This private wager quickly 
grew into a full-fledged barbecue cooking competition after it combined 
forces with a local crafts fair and an annual hog show hosted by the 
county's livestock association. That fusion has since evolved into the 
annual Big Pig Jig, the world's largest MBN-endorsed contest as well as 
Georgia's biggest and oldest sanctioned contest of its kind.
  The Big Pig Jig's broad national recognition contributes heavily to 
the economy of the rural community of Vienna, Georgia, as well as the 
surrounding area. It draws a crowd that almost triples the city's 
average population and showcases the charm and beauty found within the 
city of Vienna on a grand scale. It is a beautiful thing when a 
community comes together to welcome people from all walks of life to 
their hometown to create a lasting and time-honored tradition like the 
Big Pig Jig.
  Next year's festivities will be particularly exciting as the National 
Whole Hog Championship will be held in conjunction with the Big Pig 
Jig. The addition of this brand new event in November of 2015 will only 
add to the palpable excitement the Big Pig Jig already inspires 
throughout the Southeast.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the 
Big Pig Jig as well as the folks of Dooly County, Georgia for 
cultivating this once small, local event into all that it is today. The 
Big Pig Jig promotes a delicious part of the South's cultural heritage 
and fosters a sense of unity among all those who travel from far and 
wide to our beloved community in Vienna, Georgia.

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