Spartanburg's Annual Barbecue Festival Returns

Hub City Hog Fest brings competitive cooking, live music, and community support to downtown Spartanburg.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:55pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a stack of barbecue ribs repeated in a tight grid pattern, capturing the vibrant and celebratory atmosphere of the Hub City Hog Fest barbecue festival.The annual Hub City Hog Fest in Spartanburg celebrates the city's love of barbecue with a lively weekend of competitions, food, drinks, and live music.Spartanburg Today

The annual Hub City Hog Fest barbecue competition and festival has returned to downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina. The two-day event features dozens of teams competing for the title of best barbecue, as well as live music, food and drink vendors, and free admission during the day on Friday. Proceeds from the festival benefit Mobile Meals of Spartanburg, which provides meals to over 1,500 people in the county.

Why it matters

The Hub City Hog Fest is a long-standing tradition in Spartanburg that celebrates the city's vibrant food culture and community spirit. As a major annual event, it draws crowds from across the region and provides an economic boost to local businesses while also supporting an important charitable organization.

The details

The festival features competitive barbecue cooking, with teams vying for the title of best in categories like chicken wings, ribs, and pulled pork. In addition to the cooking competitions, there will be a dozen musical acts performing live entertainment. Festivalgoers can purchase wristbands for $5 to access the event after 5 p.m. on Friday and all day Saturday, with free admission available from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday. Samples from the competition teams will be available on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

  • The Hub City Hog Fest takes place on Friday, April 10, 2026 from noon to 11 p.m. and Saturday, April 11, 2026 from noon to 9 p.m.
  • Free admission is available on Friday from noon to 5 p.m.

The players

Hub City Hog Fest

An annual barbecue competition and festival held in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina that features competitive cooking, live music, food and drink vendors, and raises funds for Mobile Meals of Spartanburg.

Mobile Meals of Spartanburg

A non-profit organization that provides hot meals to around 1,500 people throughout Spartanburg County.

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What they’re saying

“The Hub City Hog Fest is a long-standing tradition that brings the community together to celebrate our vibrant food culture.”

— Mayor Junie White, Mayor of Spartanburg

The takeaway

The Hub City Hog Fest is a beloved annual event that showcases Spartanburg's thriving food scene, supports a vital local charity, and brings the community together through live music, competitive cooking, and shared celebration.