In a city like Sioux Falls, it doesn’t take long to notice if something is missing.
In this case, it was pork.
A pork-centric summer festival, that is.
After the organizers of RibFest decided to call it quits last year, Garrett Gross, co-founder of AGE Media & Promotion, saw a gap begging to be filled.
“There was a lot of success with the previous group that did it,” said Gross, “and at the end of the day, people just want to get together and have fun local experiences.”
Together with Remedy Brewing Company, KBACK Radio, and the Sioux Falls Jaycees, Gross and AGE Media have spent the last three months carefully crafting the latest summer festival: PorkPalooza.
The organizations are partnering with key players in the pork industry, including Pipestone Vet, the South Dakota Pork Council, and the Turner County Pork Producers, to forge connections between producers and consumers, all while enjoying local music, craft beer, and BBQ.
Additionally, proceeds from the event will go directly to Feeding South Dakota (FSD).
According to Gross, donations toward protein only make up eight percent of FSD’s income, yet protein is one of the most important nutritional basics for families in need.
“The goal of the event isn’t to generate revenue for the promoters,” said Gross. “We’re here to take care of people who are local.”
Gross and his partners are hyper-focused on the local aspect of this festival.
“There were other promoter-type individuals that wanted to fill this void, but they were from other parts of the country,” said Gross. “We don’t need someone coming in from out-of-state and taking all the proceeds with them.”
Agriculture is one of the primary industries in South Dakota, and generating support and understanding for it among consumers is key for the community’s growth and success.
“This is our opportunity to showcase the ag industry and bring it to the local consumers,” said Gross.
Festival-goers can expect local food trucks (all featuring unique pork dishes), local music – Guilty Pleasures Orchestra, Ron Keel, and Jim Grothe, to name a few – and fun for the whole family.
“I encourage people to come on down, bring the whole family, and enjoy our local beer, local live music, and local BBQ,” said Gross.
PorkPalooza’s organizers are grateful for the enthusiasm and support the event has already received.
“We’ve had an absolutely incredible amount of people say they’ll help as volunteers,” said Gross. “People understand there are expenses and our motivation is clear.”
The event begins Friday, June 8 in the parking lot of 8th & Railroad Center, with a whole-hog roast. This is a ticketed event, with only a few corporate and family packages still available. In addition to the hog roast, attendees can look forward to a performance by piano request group, The Dueling Duo.
The party continues all day Saturday, June 9, and will be free and open to the public from 11:00 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.
For more information, visit Porkpalooza’s Facebook page.
WHAT
PorkPalooza
WHERE
8th & Railroad
Sioux Falls
WHEN
June 8 & 9
6-10 p.m. // 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
