Ya’ll, my hometown used to be the pig capital of the world. Yes, you read that right. Keep reading. I promise it’ll come together in the end. Maybe.
I have no idea if my hometown STILL is the Pig Capital or if that ship has sailed. Anyone reading this, feel free to set the record straight.
I myself grew up on a working pig farm (It’s easy to believe, isn’t it?) back before pig farming went commercial and hog confinements were a thing.
Our hogs were in the pen beyond our gravel driveway and had plenty of sunshine and space to roam with their piglets. I can remember during frigid temps piglets in a box by the kitchen heater so they would survive.
I also took a piglet to show and tell in 1st grade. It was 1990, I wore a cute, ruffled, acid-washed jean skirt, and my father came to town with a pig (because of no matter how the country we were, no one was going to let me take a piglet on the bus). I remember feeling so special on my birthday, which was also show and tell day. I got to take cupcakes AND a piglet. I felt like I was living high on the hog. 😉
My birthday was in May, almost at the end of the year. I was ecstatic that no one else had thought to bring a real LIVE pig. Dumb kids. Wouldn’t everyone love to see a real live pig instead of the countless plastic toys I had seen all year?
As luck would have it, not that many kids actually wanted to touch a real, live squealing pig, which squealed so loud kids had to cover their ears. And no one mentioned my new skirt. Kids can be brutal. Now that I think about it, this event might have had something to do with my really awkward social interactions for many years.
So, even though “operation show and tell piglet” was a bust, pigs are part of my history and that is the way too long story behind why Pittsfield, Illinois Pig Days holds a special place in my heart.
There are some food vendors, live music, games, and a few carnival rides and bounce houses put on by the Lions Club. The tickets are affordable and the rides are great for kids the ages of mine. It’s never overcrowded and the small town vibes are enough to make anyone smile.
If you ever get a chance to go, it’s always the second weekend in July and you can always find a friendly face to talk to, even if you are new in town. That is how small-town people are. Eager to chat, help out, and play six degrees of separation.
MUST DO’s:
-Stop by the Fireman’s stand and get $the best lemon shakeup you’ve ever had. The pork chops are amazing too.
-Play a game of “I’Dood It” (a ping pong game that I used to spend hours playing) and try to get five in a row to win a prize. If you get five in a row, you yell out, “I Dood It”!
-Get in line for the perfectly simple Bucking Bronco ride (a tractor-pulled trailer on hydraulics) that will make you giggle.
-Get a $1.00 cotton candy from the Lions Club stand near the ticket sales. Yummy and a bargain, too!
-If the Firemen aren’t busy, they bring a truck and load kids on the bed and take them on a ride with the sirens and lights going. It’s a great way to cool off.
-Check out the amazing courthouse (which my kids think is a castle and I did too, as a young girl). Wiki says that this courthouse is one of the most beautiful in the state and even the midwest. I tend to agree, but I may be biased. One of my ancestors, Robert Franklin, from Nebo, Illinois was the master stonemason that designed and supervised the keystone arches that can be seen on this magnificent building, built-in 1894. At night, the dome is lit and can be seen from miles away. (You can read the Wiki article here.)
And because I do not have any photos that do the amazing courthouse justice, I reached out for some photos to show its beauty. In the true spirit of small towns and the hospitality of the good-hearted people that live in them, I got many!
Special thanks to the following for providing some great photos!
Amy Pressey
Carol Wachtel
Blaklyn Zenner
Shane Allen Photography
Jessica Guthrie Photography
John Guthrie
Monica Geiselman
Andy Borrowman
Here is a little gallery of photos of the courthouse in Pittsfield, Illinois. If you are ever in the neighborhood stop by!
Love,
Stef
of photos of the courthouse in Pittsfield, Illinois. If you are ever in the neighborhood stop by! Love,
Stef