Moses Lake enjoys 'pigging out'

MOSES LAKE - The third annual Pigout in McCosh Park drew residents hungry for good food, good weather and fun for the whole family over the weekend.

The event featuring music and a variety of food booths took place Friday and Saturday.

Food items included teriyaki, barbecue, salmon and corn on the cob.

A.J. Escamilla of Moses Lake, at his first pigout enjoyed a hot and spicy chicken bowl near the picnic tables Saturday afternoon.

"It's the first thing I've had. Going to eat more, Philly cheese steak maybe," he said.

Evan Underwood, manning the teriyaki booth, said great sauces were just one reason for his booth's success.

"All four of our sauces are pretty good and everyone loves them all. We have orange sauce which is really good and we have the hot and spicy teriyaki, which everyone loves as well. And then we have some of the best egg rolls," he said.

Doug Peterson worked double duty at the teriyaki booth and a dessert booth next door.

"It's old-fashioned funnel cakes with real Pennsylvania Dutch funnel cake mix. The real McCoy with real fresh strawberries. It's not like pancake batter. We buy it from a candy company that has it shipped in from back east. It's really, really good stuff," he said.

Nearby, cousins Henry Owens, 14, and Michael Martinez, 9, each took hold of an end of a large dessert item, big enough for two.

Leo Samsa stood at a barbecue booth serving up beef brisket, pulled pork sandwiches and baked potatoes.

"Both the beef and the pork have been slow-cooked a minimum of 12 hours over applewood. It adds a light, smoke flavor to it that really accentuates and heightens the flavor," he said. "Just like another seasoning it adds another twist to the meat."

It was Samsa's third time at pigout and said he always has a good time.

"The music, the people, it's fun, it's real friendly, Bill (Burke, an organizer,) and that crew's great to work with, easy to get along with and the park is great. They just allow us to come in and do this. I just love it," he said.

Another booth offered corn on the cob with a variety of toppings including seasoned salt with cayenne pepper, parmesan cheese and hot sauce.

Bill Shimmin stood close to the booth finishing up his corn.

"I put everything on but salt," he said.

"We did very well yesterday," Carol Conley of the Moses Lake Lions Club said Saturday afternoon.

Conley said she enjoyed the people at the event.

"Just meeting the people and everyone has a good time," she said.

Following lunch, lions member Dave Helms planned his next meal.

"The next thing I'm going to have, though, is the salmon," he said.

Helms said weather was better this year than before.

" A couple years ago it was so hot it just roasted people out, but it's just beautiful today," he said. "Just the combination of the food and the entertainment. It's just neat. That and the folks that come in. You see people that you haven't seen for a while. It's a good friendly environment and folks are having fun."