Pig Fest 2011

Pig Fest is a festival (obviously) that happens every year in the town of Wittlich, about 20 minutes from our house. I have heard about Pig Fest since the moment I arrived. Everyone says it is the best of all the local festivals. Everyone talked about Pig Fest, but no one told us what it was about. Saturday we woke up to clear, sunny skies and the temperature was in the low 80s. It was easily the nicest day we've had all summer. Really it is about the only day of summer we've had. We decided the best way to spend the day was figuring out what Pig Fest was.

We weren't sure where the festival was going to be in Wittlich... but as we got closer to town we could see a Ferris wheel, and another carnival ride that when I was a child was called the YoYo (swings). It was easy to assume if we headed towards the carnival rides we would find the festival. Parking for the festival was similar to parking at any major event... although the Germans think it is fair game to box other people in, park on the curb, and park in all sorts of places I would consider inappropriate. I first used the word "impossible" but clearly, the Germans have (once again) proved me wrong. So I will say inappropriate. After circling around the parking lot multiple times, a sweet plump German man waved us into the parking spot his wife had just backed out of.

The first thing we came to were tents and booths of a craft fair. Josh and I were distracted for a good 10 minutes by a booth of hand made toys (after 10 minutes we realized the majority of the toys we wanted to buy would cost 4 times the cost to ship home to Zoey in Montana). We could hear a marching band playing, and wandered up the street to find ourselves watching a parade... and the center stage of this parade were pigs. Not live pigs, but dead ones... for the pig roast... which is what Pig Fest is about (surprise). After marching the pigs through the streets they reach their final place where they are cut up and sold as sandwiches. All along the narrow streets were beer and wine vendors. When I think of a beer vendor, I think of either the beer garden at the Western Montana Fair (it's probably exactly what you envision) or standing in line at a sporting vent/concert to get a plastic keg cup of draft beer. German beer vendors have tables around their stands where you can sit/stand and you drink out of real glass glasses.

Josh and I followed other people up a few streets, and discovered that in addition to a craft fair, parade, and pig roast there was a carnival. Like most carnivals, there were a few rides and games. Carnivals games and the carnies who work them are universal...

I have never been very adventurous when it comes to carnival rides, and Josh didn't want to go alone... so instead we decided to enjoy the midway by drinking beer. After enjoying our people watching and beer drinking, we wandered back towards the main festival area to sample some of the pig. The "sandwich" you got was actually a large piece of pork on a fresh roll with mustard. I'm not a big pork person, but it was delicious.

It was a fun Saturday afternoon. I can see why everyone enjoys Pig Fest and why it is a favorite. I can't believe all the things the word "festival" encompasses.