The Swine Ball, also known as the “pig nose” soiree, has become Nashville’s middle class answer to the balls and galas of the Music City elite. It is part of the Music City Festival & BBQ Championship, which takes places August 22nd-24th in Nashville.
The 2012 Swine Ball will be held on August 11st at Silver Dollar Saloon from 7 to 11 p.m. This year’s ball will be donating a portion of all proceeds to fund scholarships to Nashville State Community College’s culinary arts program. The event’s goal for this year is to raise enough to send three students to the program.
The Swine Ball has been a party of Nashville history for over 30 years, proudly known as the “most delightfully tacky ball in Nashvegas.” Guests are invited to come in their tuxes and black dresses, or their jeans and daisy dukes! Cowboy boots and pig noses are always accepted and guests are encouraged to get out of the dance floor and, “get piggy with it!” The event did take a five year hiatus, but was resurrected in 2010 as the official kick-off for the not-for-profit Music City Festival & BBQ Championship. The Music City Festival, which is set for August 22-24 in Riverfront Park, benefits the Wounded Warrier Project and Shriner’s Hospital for Children.
The Music City Festival & BBQ Championship began in 2008 and is an annual event held in downtown Nashville. Along with entertainment featuring headlining artists, the Music City Festival & BBQ Championship is also one of the few BBQ competitions in the United States sanctioned by both the Memphis BBQ Network and the Kansas City BBQ Society. Each year, the committee selects one or two charities of choice and supports them with a portion of proceeds from each festival. So far, the Music City Festival & BBQ Championship has donated over $28,000 to these selected charities.
The Swine Ball, the event that kicks off the Music City Festival & BBQ Championship, is sponsored by the Cumberland Hospitality Group, a Tennessee-based hospitality management company whose primary mission is to provide excellent service for its customers with a true Nashville experience.
Aside from its fun and games, the Swine Ball offers its famous hot calling contest and the “Grand ‘Ole Porker” Humanitarian Award. This year, music will be provided by Mel and The Party Hats.
Tickets for the Swine Ball are $65 and are available here. If this event sounds fun to you, or if you are ready for a change of pace when it comes to fundraisers, galas and balls, the Swine Ball is just right for you! Buy some tickets, put on your daisy dukes and head to the Silver Dollar Saloon on August 11th for a good time!