KEWANEE — Kewanee is gearing up for its annual Labor Day festival, a four‑day celebration built around pork chops, a parade and carnival rides that fill downtown with crowds and hometown energy.
Hog Days celebrates the community’s hog‑raising heritage with what’s billed as the world’s largest pork barbecue. Festivalgoers can choose a butterfly pork chop sandwich or a ground‑pork patty, then head out to enjoy a full slate of events across town.
The weekend begins Friday evening, Sept. 4, as the carnival opens downtown and rides start spinning through Monday.
Musical entertainment is scheduled Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights on a state‑of‑the‑art stage in the Peoples National Bank parking lot. Shows begin at 7 p.m. and visitors often bring lawn chairs to settle in for the night. Additional musicians will perform throughout the weekend in West Park and at the barbecue tent in Berrien Park.
Saturday starts early with the Hog Capital Stampede. The starter’s gun fires at 8 a.m. for the four‑mile race through Kewanee streets. A one‑mile Fun Run offers a shorter option and kids can take part in a one‑block Kids Fun Run.
The parade steps off at 2 p.m. Saturday with nearly 100 entries winding through the heart of town. Thousands of spectators line the route with lawn chairs and tents to watch one of Kewanee’s biggest annual traditions.
West Park will host a large flea market Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5-6, from 9 a.m. until dusk. Antique‑car fans can catch the Model T and Model A rally at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, a longtime favorite that brings classic vehicles and their drivers together.
Monday, Sept. 7, is Kids Day with activities set up throughout the downtown area to close out the festival.
