The ninth edition of Tampa Pig Jig, set for October 19, is officially sold-out, and anyone with a ticket should really appreciate experiencing the charity BBQ competition and mini-music festival at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa (Jake Owen, Dr. Dog, Lanco and Tampa’s own Camille Trust are among the musical highlights this year).
That’s because Pig Jig — which raises money for the nonprofit NephCure Foundation’s work in accelerating research for effective treatments for rare forms of Nephrotic Syndrome — has confirmed a 2020 move up the Hillsborough River to Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.
"It’s hard to imagine that just nine years ago we kicked off the first Pig Jig in a South Tampa backyard — today, we announced the first advanced sell out in event history,” Pig Jig co-founder and Chris Whitney told CL Tampa.
“With year 10 on the horizon, we’re looking to expand the celebration by moving the 2020 Tampa Pig Jig to Julian B. Lane Park. The expanded footprint will allow us to welcome even more guests and increase our impact on NephCure Kidney International.”
The news is interesting in that Pig Jig, following the lead of events like Gasparilla Music Festival (GMF), has effectively used both Curtis Hixon Park and the adjacent Kiley Gardens to showcase the downtown green space. Pig Jig, with its centerpiece BBQ pit, seemed prime for a move to Julian B. Lane, which makes this news less of a surprise, but we’ll watch to see if GMF follows suit as it continues to bring close-to-capacity crowds to The Curt and Kiley.
So yeah, enjoy that pork butt and view of the University of Tampa minaret’s piggy, party people, because you’ll be doing it at a new venue next year.
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