21 March 2024

Kangaroo Valley's Pig Day Out showcases sparkly swine racing for ultimate glory (and charity)

| Keeli Royle
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Piglets in pen with crowds around

Which one of these piglets will be bringing home the bacon at this year’s Pig Day Out? Photo: The Friendly Inn.

Bunnies may be an Easter icon but piglets will be the stars of this year’s holiday, with an annual charity event in the Kangaroo Valley set to have the community squealing with joy.

Hundreds are expected to turn out for this year’s Pig Day Out, hosted by one of the region’s oldest pubs – The Friendly Inn – for an exciting day of entertainment that will showcase an adorable spectacle of racing piglets in sparkly jackets, vying for a tasty bowl of milk.

“Everyone has a great time doing it and it’s just about having a bit of fun for the kids and adults,” The Friendly Inn manager Caroline Lenati said.

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“Over the last couple of years, especially with COVID and everyone being locked down, it’s a chance for people to get out and enjoy themselves.

“Also, with the valley going through bushfires, floods and COVID, it’s trying to get tourism back to the area and get the community thriving again.”

Since 2015, the pub has partnered with Noah’s Thoroughbred Pig Racing, a business that showcases the tiny attention hogs all around the country to raise millions for charity.

And this year’s event will help put funds straight back into the piggy banks of local organisations to help them continue important work within the community, with Kangaroo Valley Preschool, Kangaroo Valley Primary School, the Melanoma Institute of Australia and Victor Chang Heart Institute all previous beneficiaries.

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“The owner of the pub, Peter Thompson, is very into doing a lot of work with the local community so we quite often do a lot of events and things that support charities and raise money for the local preschool, school, sporting organisations, the Cancer Council – so it’s his little brainchild,” Caroline said.

“This is just a part of a community activity that we do to raise money. We’re out there to support people and we know times are tough at the moment but we want to put things on to entertain people and raise money for those who need it.”

The event will combine country fun and community spirit with a line-up of live local music, bar and bistro services, and pre-race raffles and auctions.

And hopefully, there will be no playing dirty or pulled hamstrings when the full six-card race meeting kicks off at 11:30 am on Saturday, 30 March, at The Friendly Inn on Moss Vale Rd, Kangaroo Valley.

Tickets are available at the gate or through The Friendly Inn website.

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