29th annual Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival

From 29th annual Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival Website:

About The Festival

The Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival evolved from Abbeville's Flight Through the Pines and May Day Festivals.

Mr. D.C. Yancey did not want the yearly festivals to die so he went to Lanier Keene, Masonic Lodge Mason, and asked if he thought the Masons would like to help with a yearly festival. So Mr. Yancey met with a few of the masons and
local citizens; Bill Sims, Lanier Keene, Tommy C. McCall, Jake Keene, Pricilla Whitman, and Dean Clements. These people decided that a festival would go on but, now it needed a name.

Mr. Bill Sims stated that if they could get a few thousand people to come to an Opossum Festival in Dexter, GA. So why not a Wild Hog Festival? Thus was born The Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival!! The festival started with
$750 from the May Day festival. Each year the Masons have sold BBQ & Stew and the Abbeville Volunteer Fire Dept. had previously sponsored a street dance after the closing of the festival. For a few years, the masons even had a womanless beauty pageant.

The kids pig chase is one of the many favorite activities to watch. The kids have a wonderful time. New events have been added over the years that includes a poker run with several hundred motorcycles descending upon Abbeville for the festival. The organizers of the poker run donate their proceeds to charity. An antique car & tractor show are also one of the many additional events with their proceeds going to prizes and trophies.

Each year the organizers look for new venues to keep the tradition going. We hope that you will join us on the Saturday before Mothers Day this year for a fun filled day of music, dancing, arts & crafts, and more food choices than we can name.