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Sunday, May 11, 2014

Pork in the Park BBQ Festival Returns to Salisbury This Weekend

Salisbury, MD – Follow your nose to the Pork in the Park BBQ Festival, sponsored by Gateway Subaru, this weekend in Salisbury, MD’s WinterPlace Park. The festival offers three days of family-friendly entertainment including live music, rides and games, unique craft vendors, delicious food and cold beverages. Admission is $7 daily for adults, and children under 12 are admitted free.

To kick things off on Friday, Warner Music Nashville recording artist Charlie Worsham will headline the Rommel Harley-Davidson stage at 8:30 p.m. The excitement continues on Saturday morning with the new VIP Experience, which includes perks like access to the VIP tent, premiere restroom facilities, KCBS barbeque samples, beer samples and a whole hog cooking demonstration and samples. (Tickets for the VIP Experience must be purchased in advance.) Southern rocker Jimmie Van Zant will headline the Rommel Harley-Davidson stage on Saturday night at 8 p.m.

On Sunday, in celebration of Mother’s Day, moms will receive $3 admission. The Eastern Shore Wing War sponsored by Mountaire Farms will return, featuring the People’s Choice Wing Competition, Amateur Wing Eating Competition and Professional Wing Eating Competition, in which World Champion Joey Chestnut will return to defend his title against other professional eaters including top-ranked female eaters Miki Sudo and Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas.

Free parking and shuttle service will be available from Wor-Wic Community College on Route 50 (32000 Campus Dr., Salisbury). The shuttle will run all hours of the event and for one hour after the close of the festival.

Pets and outside food and drinks are not permitted on festival grounds.

The festival is a rain or shine event. For up-to-the-minute information throughout the weekend, follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/PorkinthePark) or Twitter (@PorkinthePark). For a complete weekend schedule, visitwww.PorkinthePark.org.

Pork in the Park BBQ Festival

www.PorkinthePark.org / 1.800.332.TOUR

Admission $7 Daily / Children Under 12 Free

Friday, May 9: 4 – 10 p.m.
Saturday, May 10: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday, May 11: 12 – 5 p.m.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

How is this family friendly with all the drunks that are there? Who wants their kids around that mess.

Anonymous said...

I don't get the $7.00 admission fee, all it gets you is the privilege to see the band. Everything else is additional charges.

VIP experience ehh, for the $7.00 that should be included, but maybe I am just being an eastern shore sourpuss that I don't have money coming out of my pockets in wads since I am saving every nickel to survive here.

I hope they get a huge draw from across the bridge where they have money to spend on this.

At least the Salisbury Festival was FREE to attend, some events just forget the average joe here.

Btw, the food is not worth what they charge for it added on top of your $7 cover charge.

Anonymous said...

Y do I have to pay to get into county property ...? II pay property taxes ...oh I know y its to pay for fat boy pollitt meals.

Anonymous said...

SKYNYRD!!!!!

Anonymous said...

whine whine whine always trying to survive we dont want you negative people there thats why we charge you 7.00 to keep you losers out now go out and try to find a third or fourth job ps dollar store is hiring

Anonymous said...

We left after a drunk vendor insisted we hand him his beer from his car. We don't drink and didn't know that's kinda what Pork in the Park is about. We have never been back.

Anonymous said...

Joe I appreciate you giving the County a free plug for Pork in the Park, but I think it is outrageous of them to charge the citizens $7 to get into that park for what? You have to pay admission to watch vendors make money off you selling their expensive sandwiches and trinkets? There is nothing to do at that plays other than walk around to look at the vendors. can you imagine if the Salisbury Mall charged you $7 to get into the building to shop? That is ridiculous and we won't be going this weekend and more that likely NEVER again!

Gary Mackes, Rick Pollitt and the members of the Wicomico County Council can kiss my a**!

Anonymous said...

11:27 You think the $7.00 fee is bad to get in then look at the OC Air Show. They are charging $25.00 per person a day to have access to the public beach to see these planes.

This is totally insane. I hope Dover has an airshow sometime soon.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
11:27 You think the $7.00 fee is bad to get in then look at the OC Air Show. They are charging $25.00 per person a day to have access to the public beach to see these planes.

This is totally insane. I hope Dover has an airshow sometime soon.

May 8, 2014 at 12:50 PM

We are not talking about the OC Air Show. Quit trying to hijack this thread and go back to OC.

Anonymous said...

My family won't be attending the Pork in the Park this year. I am sick and tired of this county being ran by Gary Mackes. That event should be self sustaining and not to make a profit off the tax payers.

Anonymous said...

The Pork in the Park is attended by people from all over...thank God. If you truly don't have $20-30 to go out and enjoy this event, how the hell do you have internet? Stop complaining. If admission and a meal is too much, please, stay home. We thank you in advance. These comments feed directly into the "backwards Eastern Shore" stereotype.

Anonymous said...

I don't feel safe anywhere in this area, especially after dark. Not saying the event grounds itself to be unsafe, but I'd avoid dark parking lots on the outer fringes.

Anonymous said...

When you have to pay for everything else, the seven dollar fee is outrageous! Good luck! I won't be going, and I refuse to pay it.
To hell with them!

Anonymous said...

1:07 It must be so tough to go through life with such a hostile attitude. I feel for you and hope the warm summer months brighten your disposition.

If notice I posted on this thread before I posted on the Ocean City thread.

I was reading here about the cost of Pork in the park which motivated me to mention the cost of the OC Air Show. After I made my post here I decided the best place to make my point would be under the Air Show article.

Hope things start looking up for you. If you go through life being so negative and letting things bother you so much it can take a toll on your health and have a negative affect on those around you.

Have an awesome weekend.

Anonymous said...

Why the 7 dollar fee,to pay double time to the county workers?

Anonymous said...

The idea to pay 7$ to get in is a joke.....and trust me plenty of people will avoid this pork mess. I would be surprised if its here next year...

None said...

My wife works for the county (health dept) and I can assure you that she can not earn overtime. None of her department can, it's been that way for years.

None said...

There is already talk from the spinsters that it won't be back next year.

Anonymous said...

3:43 it ran primarily by volunteers.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
The Pork in the Park is attended by people from all over...thank God. If you truly don't have $20-30 to go out and enjoy this event, how the hell do you have internet? Stop complaining. If admission and a meal is too much, please, stay home. We thank you in advance. These comments feed directly into the "backwards Eastern Shore" stereotype.

May 8, 2014 at 1:54 PM

Gary Mackes you and your staff need to be fired for trolling on the blog and attacking readers who don't agree with your dirty politics and your need to rip off the public. You county employees are dirt bag slugs and should be fired. If I find out that any county council member supports or voted to allow this outrageous admission charge we will work extra hard to get your opponent elected.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
1:07 It must be so tough to go through life with such a hostile attitude. I feel for you and hope the warm summer months brighten your disposition.

If notice I posted on this thread before I posted on the Ocean City thread.

I was reading here about the cost of Pork in the park which motivated me to mention the cost of the OC Air Show. After I made my post here I decided the best place to make my point would be under the Air Show article.

Hope things start looking up for you. If you go through life being so negative and letting things bother you so much it can take a toll on your health and have a negative affect on those around you.

Have an awesome weekend.

May 8, 2014 at 3:42 PM

I didn't see any hostility, but I did notice as well that you attempted to hijack this thread. Go away.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
The idea to pay 7$ to get in is a joke.....and trust me plenty of people will avoid this pork mess. I would be surprised if its here next year...

May 8, 2014 at 5:56 PM

I have spoken to a lot of people who mentioned they won't be attending this event because of the cover charge. The economy is so bad and the Democrats continue to rape the tax payers by charging $7 to attend and event that is nothing more than watching vendors sell their goods. What if every store charged admission to shop in their stores..

Anonymous said...

None said...
There is already talk from the spinsters that it won't be back next year.

May 8, 2014 at 6:17 PM

If the crowds are down and the vendors can't make money because of the $7 cover charge you can bet they won't be back next year.

Anonymous said...

Joe tomorrow would be a great day for you to do a story on this outrageous cover charge for Pork in the Park. In this economy you can bet people can't afford to pay a $7 cover charge if they can't even pay their mortgage.

Delmarva Bike Week doesn't charge a cover charge and the place is always packed and the vendors come back. OC Bike Week charges a cover charge to get into something at the pier and it is sparsely attended.

The Wicomico Farm and Home Show doesn't charge a cover charge.

Someone else mentioned that the Salisbury Festival doesn't charge.

Anonymous said...

Forget about the cover charge! We can't bring our kids because it's a drunkfest! They need to stop promoting it as a family event. We won't be back, and it's not because of a $7.00 entrance fee.

Anonymous said...

People pay $6.00 to get into Shorebirds games, plus $3.00 to park. And if you want to eat there, bring lots of money! A small bottle of water is $3.75!! But I would go to a Shorebirds game and pay that ticket price instead of Pork in the Park because the atmosphere is totally different and more geared towards a family. I just eat before I go. LOL

P+R WORKER said...

I KNOW THE WHOLE PARKS MAINT DEPT HAS BUSTED THERE TAIL GETTING READY FOR THIS EVENT. HATS OFF TO S.M. J.P. O.M. R.T. F.S. F.W. P.D. C.B. A.G. C.M. G.A. G.E.
ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB AND DESERVE SOME RECOGNITION FOR THERE EFFORTS.
THERE ALSO A GREAT STAFF TO WORK WITH TOO.

Anonymous said...

Due to ticket price and having to pay for everything else, I hope it fails! Noticed on wboc at 6 & 7pm they were reporting from there. I noticed only a handful of people. Hope this sends a message to them.

Anonymous said...

Seems people want to bash Gary Mackes but it seems by the look of things here in wicomico county that him and his dept are about the only ones who are trying to stimulate the local economy and provide events and services which attract local and visiting people to the area. As far as the $7.00 admission comments i assure you that is being used to cover the expenses to operate this event.So for the price of a pack of cigarettes or 2 gallons of gasoline you can go enjoy yourself and listen to some music too.

Anonymous said...

The fee keeps the riff raff out for a better experience.

Anonymous said...

When you have a family of four, That's 28 just to enter the event, not counting the cost of the food. Most people don't go by themselves. Your getting nothing for the admission price. I'm not paying it, and money is too hard to come by.
Hope a lot of people like me, boycott this event.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
People pay $6.00 to get into Shorebirds games, plus $3.00 to park. And if you want to eat there, bring lots of money! A small bottle of water is $3.75!! But I would go to a Shorebirds game and pay that ticket price instead of Pork in the Park because the atmosphere is totally different and more geared towards a family. I just eat before I go. LOL

May 9, 2014 at 9:17 AM

Me to and I will continue to support the Shorebirds if it keeps our Orioles organization in town. More people should attend the games and then we wouldn't need the Pork and Drunkfest.

Anonymous said...


From many past visits to Pork In The Park I agree $7 sounds steep for the privilege of just walking around a county park which would be free the other 362 days of the year.

Couldn't justify the total tab this year versus the 'experience' of wandering the crowded midway and standing in lines while hoping to find a place to sit once served.

Multiply that by the number in your group!

IIRC it started out closer to $2 or $3 when they began.

I assume they charge the vendors a pretty penny for their space, and may well take a chunk of their sales also.

Folks who don't attend spend zero dollars inside!

Time will tell whether scheduling it over Mother's Day pans out; my guess is most Moms will prefer a sitdown meal today.

Suggestions: 3 day pass for $12 or $15; reduce the daily fee; reduce the price before 4 or 5 pm; bring back the car show. Then folks can put their money towards the vendors = Win - Win.

Anonymous said...

Where does the 7 dollar fee go?

Anonymous said...

did anyone on here attend? how was it?

Anonymous said...

DANG!, I missed Pork in the Park for the first time EVER!

Oh, well, saved $21 entry fee and $50 food $, and only missed having to be hawked by a zillion vendors of the same old pleather, bandanas, and pipes I can buy online.

Oh, and I missed seeing the eating contest with the Black Widow and Joey Chestnut, but that chits on tv later.

Had a great weekend otherwise, trimming shrubs, planting the garden, taking out the trash, and generally sprucing up the place!

Much more rewarding than the alternative...

Anonymous said...

our over staffed Parks Dept full of alcoholics should hold a Festival every week... that way they could drink for free all year

Anonymous said...

11:59-Presumably that must occur before the food is cooked.I attended this event.Is it just me or is this thing winding down? Hopefully not,but a few money issues may need to be addressed before next years event.It's almost as though the organizers don't realize there's a difficult economy.A cost tweak here an there would make this more attractive.

Anonymous said...

I heard the turnout was very lack luster!