‘It’s time’: After 44 years, iconic Spokane event ‘Pig Out in the Park’ comes to an end

One of Spokane’s most iconic events, Pig Out in the Park, has come to an end after 44 years.

It was just “the right time” to call it quits, the event’s founder, Bill Burke, told The Spokesman-Review Tuesday.

“I am going to be 75 this year. I have three grandkids in Phoenix that I need to see,” Burke said. “But I will miss everything about it. It’s time.”

Burke started the event in 1979 after seeing food festivals and music festivals gain popularity across the country. He thought “Why not marry the two together, with free admission?” Initially, Burke found a small 4-foot-8 stage leftover from Expo ‘74 and borrowed it from Riverfront Park. Then the event grew. Hundreds of local and out-of-state vendors post up in the park, ready to sell their unique food and beverages from people all over the country. 

Throughout the years, people living as far away as Florida and New York have traveled to Spokane to experience Pig Out in the Park for themselves, Burke said. The event saw nearly 4 million people attend throughout the years.

When Pig Out in the Park first began, it cost around $36,000, Burke said. As the event gained more traction over time, sponsorships grew and the need for security and insurance increased, with operations costs reaching $560,000.

That doesn’t hold much weight for Burke, though. He wanted to end the event “on a high note,” he said. The board of Six Bridges Arts Association, the event’s nonprofit that helps fund Pig Out in the Park, also agreed with Burke that it was the right time.

“When you do something for 44 years, you meet a lot of people and make a lot of friends,” Burke said. “I have seen people’s kids grow up and go off to college. Some come back and they are doctors and attorneys. It’s been rewarding that way.”

Burke’s involvement isn’t completely off the table, he said. If another organization wanted to take Pig Out in the Park over, he would gladly help them.

“I want to thank everyone for all the support we have had,” Burke said. “It was a favorite. A lot of people don’t know it was just one guy who was running the whole thing. We made a lot of friends for us and the city of Spokane.”

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown told The Spokesman-Review in a statement that Pig Out in the Park was a staple event for families, who have made memories there in the last few decades. 

“I want to thank Bill for the good food and good music,” Brown said, “And I wish him well with his future plans.”