It’s a Hogg of a good time: 1st ever Hogg Fest set for March 23

It’s a festival made in hog heaven – Jim Hogg, that is.

The Rusk Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Hogg Fest begins at 9 a.m., Saturday, March 23 at Jim Hogg Park, 334 Fire Tower Road, in Rusk.

“March is the birth month of our illustrious Gov. Jim Hogg, so we decided to observe our city’s history and have a great time, too,” Rusk Chamber of Commerce Manager Tara Tatarski said.

According to the Texas Politics Project – Governors of Texas, (TPP) as found on the website texaspolitics.utexas.edu, James Stephen Hogg (1851-1906) was born near Rusk on March 24, 1851, to Lucanda (McMath) and Joseph Lewis Hogg, and became the first native governor of Texas – serving from 1891 to 1895.

The festivities honoring Hogg kicks off 6 p.m., Thursday, March 21, with the first ever Ima Hogg Corporate spelling bee, at the Cherokee Civic Theatre, 157 W. Fifth St., Rusk.

Five teams of five will face off to see who the area’s champion speller is. Doors open at 5 p.m. Emcee is Steve Goode and word caller is Heather Beck. Admission is free.

On Saturday, featured events and activities at Jim Hogg Park include the Hogg Wild Poker Run; exhibits of authentic pioneer life and demonstrations; live entertainment; food vendors; hog calling and hog kissing contests; a quilt display and raffle; Sarah Hogg’s pecan pie bake-off; vendors touting homemade and handmade goods; a petting zoo; bounce houses; cornhole and horseshoes tournaments; and more.

“We’re also planning to offer a free movie event at dark to cap off the day, featuring a classic John Wayne western movie,” Tatarski said.

Motorcycle enthusiasts are invited to participate in the Hogg Wild Poker Run on Saturday.

Bikers can enjoy the beautiful scenery as they ride through the piney woods, from Rusk to Palestine to Slocum and back to Rusk – all while picking up poker chips at designated stops.

Winners will be announced at 3 p.m. Saturday during Hogg Fest. Entry fee is $25. Trophies for first, second and third places will be awarded; first place winner will also win 40 percent of the total proceeds.

Rusk Senior Finale is also raffling off a Rusk Eagles themed quilt. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and the drawing will be held at 2:30 p.m. during Hogg Fest, at Jim Hogg Park. Contact Kim Beathard, (903) 721-0406, for tickets.

Anyone interested in entering the pie bake off will need to have their pies entered at the Jim Hogg Park pavilion by 11 a.m. Saturday. Winners will be announced by 12:30 p.m. Entry fee is $10 and first, second and third place winners will receive a beautiful engraved pie plate. Call the Chamber, (903) 683-4242 to register.

Vendor booth spaces are still available for $40 for a 12x12-foot space. Food vendor fee is $100. Non-profits can get space for $25-$60.

Call 903-683-4242 to reserve booth space.