Put Spartanburg, South Carolina’s Hub City Hog Fest on your bucket list because this is one delicious and impressive event you wont want to miss. If you’re local to the upstate, there’s a strong chance you are familiar with this smoky, sweet, meat and community centered event. They are celebrating their 10 years anniversary in 2025 after all! If you’re not from around “these here parts” let me paint a picture of air thick with the irresistible aroma of slow-smoked brisket, sizzling ribs, and fire-grilled perfection. 

As a fundraising event for Mobile Meals of Spartanburg, there is more at stake than just delicious dishes to appease the masses. It’s about raising funds to provide delicious (and nutritious) meals at all times to the frail or homebound citizens of Spartanburg County.  Each weekday, approximately 150 generous members volunteer to provide love, care, and food to those in need. As they are completely independent and a privately funded organization, events like Hub City Hog Fest are the metaphorical bread and butter to their survival. 

A deeper purpose and a greater cause just makes a dish taste better. Add in competition, and you’ve got yourself a triple-threat-reason to have the best food around. And the competition is steep. 34+ teams competing for the title of best barbecue with a pretty hefty cash prize for the winners. Teams from all over North and South Carolina come together for a great cause, to make great food, with hopes of getting their hands on that prize money. 

As someone who deeply appreciates a perfectly cooked barbecue dish, it was impressive to see so many different displays. We’re talking wings with dry rub, wings with sauce, wings smoked, wings deep-fried, and all the other meat variations you can think of. Vendors and food trucks on-site sell mouthwatering options both Friday and Saturday, and as a free event, the only thing you pay for it what you eat, what you drink, and to stay past 5pm is only $5.

Couple things to keep in mind when you go, you CAN bring your own water, and you should. You also should wear comfortable walking shoes. Morgan Square is an adorable little section of downtown Spartanburg and you’ll be on your feet enjoying the live music, the vendors, watching kids receive face paint, eating great food, and soaking in the southern hospitality. Also, they expect about 40K+ attendees over the 2 day festival, so hand sanitizer and social skills will need to be in check. As for parking, prepare to leave the car a few blocks away or use a parking garage nearby. 

This is a meat-lovers dream come true, an extroverted and social persons flavor of party, it’s an all-you-can-eat smoke show, but more importantly, its a great way to support a great cause. Since its beginning in 2013 (with a couple years off due to covid), the Hub City Hog Fest has raised more than $500,000 for Mobile Meals and aims to continue supporting in years to come. 

Definitely recommend keeping this Spartanburg, South Carolina event on your list. For a closer look into what it was like to attend in person, check out this short video HERE. For more details on the festival itself, check out the Hub City Hog Fest website HERE.