Pig Out event being finalized

Four-day festival planned for July

MOSES LAKE — The food and music will abound in McCosh Park this summer, as locals and tourists alike are expected to flock to Moses Lake for the city's week to pig out.

That is the aim of eastern Washington promoter Bill Burke, who is in the organization stages of a free four-day festival in the park. Bill Burke Productions has organized Spokane's annual "Pig Out in the Park," for several years, and is organizing Moses Lake's event in a similar vein. Pig Out in McCosh Park is planned for July 20-23.

Burke has been a promoter for the Moses Lake Summer Concert Series for the last 15 years, and has planned the festival to run alongside one of the McCosh Park concerts. The festival itself is scheduled to run Thursday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

"It's going together well," Burke said this week, adding the lineup of musical acts for the festival should be announced within the next few weeks. Based upon previous concert experience, Burke said concertgoers in Moses Lake prefer country/western and nostalgia musical acts.

The bands are one part of the free festival, which will also include at least 20 food booths that Burke said are expected to sell more than 135 different food items. Arts and crafts booths are another attraction for the festival, as is a winery and brew fest. Burke said the winery and brew fest will be operated by the Six Bridges Arts Association which has also been a sponsor for Spokane's annual Pig Out festival. Burke said the cost to put on the festival is approximately $98,000.

Pig Out in McCosh Park is estimated to bring anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 people to the park over the four days.

"The whole idea of this event is the promotion of your Grant County area," Burke said.

Local vendors and musical acts interested in being a part of the event can contact Burke for information on taking part at (509) 921-5579.