Editor’s Note: This article, from 2006, discusses the last “High on the Hog” festival in Church Hill. Our own festival, Hogtober, will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2001. More info to come. We apologize for any confusion.
Samuel L. Jackson movie character once famously said that he didn’t dig swine because a pig “ain’t got sense enough to disregard its own feces.”
It’s safe to say many Virginians don’t have this dilemma. Our own Sen. George Allen grew up on ham sandwiches and will gladly tell anyone who will listen.
In fact, we’re a state known worldwide for our output of fleshy, bulbous ham.
Few know this better than the wonderfully named Larry Ham, award-winning cook at Richmond’s venerable party High on the Hog, held annually in the Libby Hill Park area of Church Hill. Ham and the festival are celebrating 30 years of hog-roast hootenannies Oct. 7, come rain or shine.
“I can’t believe it’s been 30 years,” says Ham, 54, who works as an investment representative for Edward Jones. “I think we’re the longest-running street party in Richmond — and it’s all about good barbecue, beer and music.”
Born and raised in North Carolina, Ham moved to Richmond in 1977 and helped start a local pig roast shortly thereafter, cooking directly over coals and using his red-vinegar basting sauce that is an eastern North Carolina tradition.
“We don’t cover it with too much sauce — our saying is that the meat should stand on its own,” he explains, adding that he used to use only hickory wood, but now the festival has gotten so large he needs a combination of hardwood charcoal and real wood to meet public demand.
Whatever the formula, it works. The High on the Hog crew has nabbed several awards, including a first-place prize at Riverfeast in Knoxville, Tenn. But Ham adds that he’s proudest of a second-place award from a Washington, D.C., contest because it was a last-second loss to a now famous brand, Jack’s Old South BBQ.
“Today I equate it with NASCAR,” Ham says. “It used to be for good ol’ boys, but now it’s gotten corporate and huge. There are people who bring quarter-of-a-million-dollar rigs to these professional contests. For us, it’s always been about having a good time.”
Organizer Chuck Wrenn, who coordinates the musical stage, was around when the parties started as small backyard get-togethers in the mid-’70s.
“It’s grown into one hellacious party,” says Wrenn, who used to own the Moondance club in Shockoe Bottom. “It’s taken on a real reunion, retro-style feel. … This year we’re expecting four or five thousand close friends.”
With free admission, High on the Hog typically involves hundreds of volunteers; and the festival has brought some well-known musical acts over the years, including NRBQ, Marcia Ball, The Radiators and Dale Watson.
Wrenn says this anniversary year is special because coordinators wanted a nostalgic lineup of bands that have played the festival in previous years and “made an impact.” (See sidebar.)
When the party lets out, Ham expects many of the stuffed revelers to hit Shockoe Bottom, which creates big business for local retailers. “Oh, they love us. Some tell me it’s one of their biggest nights of the year,” he says. “They should be paying us.” S
When and where: Oct. 7, 2006 noon to sunset; 28th and East Franklin streets.
The cost: Free admission; barbecue is $7 a plate, beers are $3, and other drinks $1.
The bands (in order): The Bopcats (rockabilly from Richmond), The Memphis Rockabilly Band (Boston), The Good Humor Band (local reunion), The Billy Price Band (R&B from Pittsburgh).
What to bring: No pets or coolers, but whatever else you need.
All proceeds go to the Church Hill Association and Church Hill Crime Watch. Check out the Web site at www.highonthehog30.com for more information.