Pigfest, car show ready for crowds

It’s a crapshoot to guess what might be the lasting image from one of Oak Harbor’s biggest weekends of 2016.

It’s a crapshoot to guess what might be the lasting image from one of Oak Harbor’s biggest weekends of 2016.

Will it be a sleek vintage automobile, a roaring hydroplane, or a 15-foot pink inflatable pig?

Organizers for all three of the city’s big events this weekend — the North Whidbey Lions Car Show, Hydros for Heroes and the Oak Harbor Pigfest — would be happy if the answer were all three.

“You can spend the whole weekend here,” said Scott Fraser, founder of the Pigfest and owner and chef of Frasers Gourmet Hideaway.

“I don’t know if there will be a better place to be than Oak Harbor.”

The ninth annual Pigfest, which takes place from noon till 5 p.m. Sunday, is a family-friendly event that drew nearly 10,000 people to Pioneer Way last year and fed 6,000 of them.

It features a free barbecue meal, a professionally-sanctioned barbecue competition and this year debuts a giant inflatable pig that is seeking a name.

“This year, at least 25 barbecuers have already signed up,” said Fraser. “It’s a sanctioned event.”

“We’re trying to create one of the Northwest’s best barbecue competitions.”

Last year, the Oak Harbor Pigfest raised $12,000 through donations for the second year in a row to give to North Whidbey charities.

This year, it shares the spotlight on the same weekend and in the same city as two other big events — the 31st Car Show Saturday at Windjammer Park and the hydro races, which take place Saturday and Sunday.

“We kind of look at this as a trifecta for the town,” said Craig McKenzie of the Craig McKenzie Team of Keller Williams Whidbey, the hydro event’s primary sponsor.

The Whidbey News-Times is media sponsor.

“We should all benefit from it and just knock it out of the park.”

To make matters more interesting, Coupeville is hosting the Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival Saturday and Sunday.

“I kind of wish we could do this every year almost,” said Fraser.

“They’re going to hear those hydros roaring around the bay over there,” McKenzie said.

“They’re going to maybe want to hit the car show or hit the hydros or maybe hit the Pigfest.

“I’ve been to all these festivals on this island. You can only spend so much time at them. If there’s something else interesting, there’s no reason why people can’t go festival hopping.”

The Car Show, which starts at 11 a.m. Saturday at Windjammer Park, will feature between 250-300 vehicles with a trophy ceremony taking place around 4:30 p.m, said Jim Woessner, who founded the event and has been its announcer every year until this one.

He’s working with McKenzie to organize and run the hydro races.

McKenzie said that hydro races also promoted the other Oak Harbor events in its marketing package.

“In reality we work hand in hand,” Woessner said.

“And the City of Oak Harbor — I can’t say enough about them.”