| About Pig Out in the Park |
|
I’m Bill Burke, and I began organizing Pig Out in the Park 28 years ago in an effort to support local small businesses, to entertain live music lovers, and to add to the rejuvenation of our community and Downtown Spokane. The original date for the event was in late
September, but after a couple of years with snow and hail, we quickly changed, giving Spokane a new Labor Day Celebration.
|
|
|
Initially, all restaurants were located under two large tents in the middle of the Gondola Meadow in Riverfront Park. We used gasoline generators for power. Though the noise and smoke was undesirable, the public didn't really seem to mind. Pig Out helped finance the cost of installing permanent power, which is still used by numerous park events.
|
|
|
The first five Pig Outs weren't even called Pig Out in the Park. The early event was still searching for its identity, with a new theme every year, when a graphic artist friend of mine, Bob Takeshita, suggested that year’s theme should be Pig Out in the Park. This event theme, although sometimes criticized for not being snooty enough, stuck. And we've been Pig Out in the Park ever since. We're all about good taste.
|
|
|
The past several years it has been easy to find participating food vendors, but that's not always been the case. One year, I could only find 16 brave souls that would tackle taking their restaurants outdoors. Now we sell all of our booth spaces within days. Every year we see about 35% new food vendors. Over 200 different restaurants/vendors have participated. Over the years, we have included traveling food vendors from all over the United States.
|
|
|
One of the things Spokane likes best about Pig Out is the ethnic and cultural diversity of the people and restaurants. This year's event is a good example. Represented are authentic Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean, Indian, Native American, American, Bavarian, Spanish, French, Jordanian, Russian, Caribbean, Hawaiian, Thai and other Middle Eastern foods.
Pig Out is Spokane's largest cultural event.
|
|
|
Entertainment is half the menu at Pig Out in the Park. Since the first Pig Out, our entertainment budget has grown from $1,235 for talent and production, to this year's new total of $101,204. We've used five different sound companies (now with Ford Audio), three different stage lighting companies (now with Impact Lighting), one staging company (Silhouette Staging), and one backline provider (The Music Connection). Probably the best thing ever is when we retired the metal Wenger Trailer Stage for large festival stages with roofs. Now it's real show business. Including this year's entertainment schedule, Pig Out in the Park has presented more than 975 FREE concerts. I definitely have some favorites.
|
|
|
For many, including me, the best Pig Out show ever, was on a warm summer evening when we brought the band WAR to Spokane. Everything about that show was magic, the production value was excellent; mostly all original members were in the band, including Lee Oskar on the harmonica. We are proud to be able to bring these musicians back this year on teh Clocktower Stage. Who could possibly forget the night we presented Shaggy? Our modest little dinner party for 10,000, within 30 minutes, turned into a major bash for about 22,000. Local radio stations were telling everyone in town to come to the park. We had to call in about 50 police and closed the streets around Riverfront Park to handle the friendly crowds. I'm proud to say that there was not one injury or incident. How was I to know that the guy had a bullet record on the charts and that he also produced Janet Jackson's records? The amount of litter after the show was incredible. That one show changed everything about Pig Out in the Park forever. The year we presented British bluesmaster John Mayall, Spokane had one of our infamous wind and dust storms. When we pick Mr. Mayall up at the airport, he remarked about the dust and the possibility of having to cancel his show. Craig convinced Mayall that Spokane was on something called the Palouse. You know, "Native American for dust in the wind. It is always like that here.” Mayall believed it, and the show was one of our best ever. That night the dust was so thick it was like watching a concert on the moon. I ran into Coco Montoya, John Mayall's guitar player, about eight months later in the LA airport. He remembered me, Pig Out in the Park, and said that he was still cleaning the dirt out of his guitar amplifier!
|
|
|
There's the time Rick Derringer (Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo) showed up with legendary Ansley Dunbar on drums. One year we presented a new country artist no one had heard of yet, Kenny Chesney. 6 months after Pig Out, he became an overnight success! We've had the Tubes, Elvin Bishop, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Tower of Power, Edgar Winter with Carmine Appice on drums, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, B. J. Thomas was even broadcast on live radio to the entire Northwest from Pig Out. There's been Poco (great show), The Nelsons, Otis Day and the Knights, Webb Wilder, The Buckinghams, Eric Burton, Lydia Pense and Cold Blood (great show). One year we presented two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers- Bo Diddley and Felix Cavaliere & the Young Rascals. We now have two large main stages instead of just one; we feature double headline concerts on three nights (and have more police and security on site than ever).
|
|
|
I'd like to also mention a few great local and regional acts we've presented, like- Men in the Making, Too Slim and the Taildraggers, The Spokane Jazz Orchestra, Ned and the boys from Seattle- Junior Cadillac. The late Russ Andre' used to open every Pig Out, and this year we also lost our good friend Alex Bedini. We miss them. And of course The Val Workman All Star Band, which has played the most Pig Outs of all. The Inland Northwest is very rich in musical talent. We receive calls about Pig Out entertainment from fans and bands wishing to play for the event. We're glad you like it.
|
|
|
There is a very special group of people that helps me stage Pig Out every year. It couldn't be done without them and they need to be mentioned. First, there's my wife Desiree and our son Christopher. Jim Destefano is our loyal electrician and motivationalist (the whole trick is reliable electricity, nothing would happen without Jim). Craig Heimbigner, remember the John Mayall dust story, has helped me with entertainment booking and has found us phenomenal shows for your enjoyment and unofficially acts as our toastmaster general. My good friend and commercial artist Bill Voiland has been responsible for our artwork, posters, banners, t-shirts and goof appeal. Denise Adams is also involved now. Jamie is our fashion counselor/coordinator, and we all miss our friend Jimmy Youngblood. Paul Ashley is a musician friend who helps with entertainment and stage control. You'll notice more high school kids picking up trash and doing other odd jobs, that's one of the Spokane’s Senior Class All-Nighter groups. If this year is like the others, there will be about 30 tons of trash. There are several other school groups selling beverages for the park for their class fund raising projects.
|
|
|
Finally, not enough can be said about The Honorable Val Workman, founding president of The Six Bridges Arts Association. Since 1979, he's been a loyal friend, my associate, my confidant and the offical “Mayor” of Pig Out. He is the event "go-to" guy and day-to-day operations manager. Together, we work all year on Pig Out. He also owns Valpak coupon franchises from Moses Lake to Montana!
|
|
|
So what are the economic benefits and costs of the annual Pig Out in the Park? During the event, Riverfront Park/City of Spokane receives nearly $200,000 in gross beverage, park attractions and other concessions sales (Pig Out in the Park is Riverfront Park's most profitable event). Food vendors and restaurants have a very wide range of success, all between $2,500 and $40,000 in sales over six days. With our event now 28 years old, we have developed a regional reputation for our audience draw and a national reputation for the quality of our entertainment. It has been reported that the total economic benefit from Pig Out in the Park for the Spokane community is nearly $4.0 million.
|
|
|
Since 1979, We have raised approximately $4.9 million to stage Pig Out in the Park. Remember, since there is no admission fee, this has been done with restaurant participation fees, sponsorships and support from over 375 local Spokane County businesses. The ones who have helped the most and have helped keep Pig Out in the Park admission free are The Spokesman Review, Budweiser, Northern Lights Brewing, Inland Northwest Bank, the Six Bridges Arts Association and Burke Marketing. This year's Pig Out in the Park will cost about $270,000. Our 2007 sponsors are King Beverage Inc./Budweiser, Northern Lights Brewing, Northern Quest Casino, Hooters, A-Z Rental, T-Mobile, The Spokesman Review, Inland Northwest Bank, Systems TWT, WhyDevelop (manages and hosts our webpage),and The Six Bridges Arts Association. Please support our generous sponsors.
|
|
|
Thank you Spokane Fire Department, the Spokane Police Department and the Grounds Maintenance Crews and Security from Riverfront Park. I would also like to sincerely thank you, our Pig Out in the Park audience and fans. We stage Pig Out in the Park for you.
|
|
|
Admission is FREE! The Food is Fantastic, Affordable and Plentiful.
|
|
