MURFREESBORO – Eastern North Carolina is famous for its pork barbecue, so much to the point where there is always great debate over which chef prepares the best swine.

Area citizens and guests from all over northeastern North Carolina and southside Virginia can continue that debate when they converge on Murfreesboro on Saturday, May 19 to witness the greatest spectacle in the entire “barbecue kingdom” n the sixth annual Roanoke-Chowan Pork Fest.

Set once again on the grounds of the Brady C. Jefcoat Museum of Americana, located on High Street, this year’s Pork Fest features a line-up of 18 award-winning barbecue chefs, each vying for the first place trophy. That means the real winner will be those in attendance as they will benefit by consuming the best pork barbecue known to man.

Advance tickets for this event always sell fast so place your order today. They are priced at $15 per person and are available in Murfreesboro at the Blue Front Shoppe, NAPA, the NC License Bureau, the Historical Association Office (at the Roberts-Vaughan House), the Commons on Main Street and at the Jefcoat Museum on weekends.

Other ticket locations include Wholesale Cash and Carry in Ahoskie, Woodland Supermarket in Woodland or from Marshall Askew in Winton or any Jefcoat Museum volunteer.

Any tickets that remain will be sold for $20 each on a first-come, first serve basis on the day of the event.

There’s more for the price of admission other than barbecue. Scheduled are a fine arts show and sale, a display of antique automobiles, craft vendors, tours of the famous Jefcoat Museum and plenty of entertainment highlighted by the popular Rocky Hock Opry who will perform live on the outdoor stage from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Also on the agenda are inflatable rides for the children (fee to vendor) and games.

Ticket holders are invited to come early (starting at 8:30 a.m.) and take a stroll down “pork alley” where they can observe the teams cooking their pigs, smell the aroma and enjoy the beautifully decorated cooking sites.

“This year promises to be the biggest and the best with an increase in the number of teams to 18,” said Jimmy Gray, chairman of the Pork Fest. “Teams competing this year are some of the best in the state and you’ll be sure to agree once you have savored their roasted swine.”

Gray added that past winners of the Roanoke-Chowan Pork Fest have gone on to become the North Carolina state champion.

For those looking for a quick snack prior to the meal being served, soft drinks, hot dogs and other goodies will be offered for sale.

Once the judging is complete, each of the 18 hogs will be chopped and seasoned with Murfreesboro’s famous secret sauce. Piled high on plates along with seasoned potatoes, slaw and freshly-cooked hush puppies, ticket holders can dive into the all-you-can-eat meal from 1-4 p.m.

Saturday, May 19 is also Armed Forces Day. With that in mind, Pork Fest officials have planned a special tribute to the men and women in uniform. Discounted tickets ($10 each) will be made available to these brave men and women who present a current military ID.

The special tribute includes a presentation of colors at 10:30 a.m. by the Hertford County High School JROTC. A formal ceremony will follow that will pass the American flag to Jefcoat Museum officials to fly from their new flagpole donated by Woodmen of the World.

Additionally there will be a table of military items for viewing.

For convenience, advance tickets can also be purchased by mail. Advise of the number of tickets needed (at $15 each), make the check payable to Pork Fest, enclosed a self-addressed, stamped envelope and mail to PO Box 3, Murfreesboro, NC, 27855.

As is tradition, Pork Fest is a drug and alcohol-free event so plan to bring the entire family to Murfreesboro on May 19 to enjoy a day filled with food, fun and wholesome fellowship.