There are going to be a bunch of pigs in Kinston this weekend - tasty ones.

More than 50 pork barbecue cooks and nearly 10,000 event-goers from around the state are expected to flock to sites around town Thursday through Sunday for the 28th annual BBQ Festival on the Neuse and Wil King Hog Happening.

Although there's much more to the festival than pork, organizers say this event - the largest barbeque cook-off festival in North Carolina - is largely about showing western North Carolina who's got the best barbecue in the state.

"We know eastern barbecue is better and we're going to show these folks," Jan Barwick of the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce said of the visitors from around North Carolina. "They just don't know ours is better because they haven't had good barbecue yet."

Most of the cooks will spend all of Friday night and early Saturday morning watching their hogs, provided by JC Howard Farms of Deep Run, roast over their massive grills. Judges provided by the N.C. Pork Council will choose a winner at 11 a.m. Saturday, shortly before pork plates - complete with cole slaw and hush puppies and prepared by the Southwood Volunteer Fire Department - go on sale.

Funds brought in by the cook-off benefit the Lenoir County Education Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce and welcome packages for the cooks.

But while the culinary highlight takes place on Friday and early Saturday, festivities actually begin Thursday with a Plein Air Paint Out sponsored by the Community Council for the Arts, which features painters from around the state practicing their craft at various locations throughout the city.  The day ends with a concert by Robin Rogers, who will perform her blues tunes until 8 p.m.

Barwick said it's a prelude to the Chamber's annual Sand in the Streets concert series.

Friday ends with a boom as a fireworks display, which will be seen from the banks near Herritage and Mitchell streets, blasts off at 9:30 p.m. A live beach music band will also provide the soundtrack for the evening.

On Saturday after an opening ceremony at 9 a.m., professional BMX bicyclists from Greenville will perform near Riverside Bicycles and Outdoor Sports on Gordon Street at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Paddling on the Neuse consists of 10-member canoe/kayak trips at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon. These guided tours cost $20.

"We'll have a registration at the nature center across the river," Burt Statum of Riverside Bicycles and Outdoor Sports - who will provide all the necessary equipment for paddlers - said.  

The last event is the Great Neuse River Rubber Duck Race at 2 p.m. Saturday to benefit the All-America City Committee. Festival-goers purchase tickets for a rubber duck in hopes it will float down the river the fastest. Multiple prizes will be awarded.

Classic car exhibits, events for children, a golf tournament for the Caswell Developmental Center and a dog show will also be part of the festival.

Barwick insisted, though, that while the event is a lot of fun for families, it's anything but a game to the barbecue cooks.

"We have more cooks than we've ever had," she said, "and they all would like to win.

"It's very competitive."

Justin Schoenberger can be reached at (252) 559-1075 or jschoenberger@freedomenc.com.

Schedule of events

Thursday

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Plein Air Paint Out

1 p.m.: Caswell Center Foundation Golf Tournament

6 p.m.: Prelude to Sand in the Streets: Robin Rogers Concert

Friday

6 p.m.: Chamber Burger Bash

6:30 p.m.: Tommy Black and Blooz Band

9:30 p.m.: Fire ‘em Up Fireworks

Saturday

9:30 a.m. Opening ceremony

10 a.m.: The Nature Center/Planetarium/Big Daddy Train/Trolly Rides; Kid's Fest; Arts and Crafts Show; CSS Neuse II Living History Event; Carolina Classic Cars Exhibition; ARC Bark Parade and Amateur Dog Show

11 a.m.: Barbecue plates for on sale; Steve Hardy's Original Beach Party

11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: BMX Bike Show

All day: Neuse River Paddle

2 p.m.: great Neuse River Rubber Duck Race

For a complete listing of events or more information on them, visit www.kinstonchamber.com or call (252) 527-1131.