SMOKE, FLAVOR, AND SHOWMANSHIP
There’s more than one way to cook a wild hog.
The competition puts wild hog at the center of the plate, then gives teams room to make it their own. Barbecue is the foundation, but recipes, presentation, and decorated camps all have their place in the tradition.
Barbecue
The original category: wild hog meat prepared barbecue style.
Exotic cooking
Wild hog dishes prepared by methods other than barbecuing.
Artistic presentation
Edible and non-edible displays turn a competition entry into a themed centerpiece. Edible entries are ready to eat.
Showmanship
The campsite becomes part of the contest, with decorations inspired by the annual theme.
These are the event’s established traditions, not an entry rulebook. Follow the organizer’s rules for the next competition.
From a local showcase to a hometown institution.
- 1972The Cotulla chapter of the Young Homemakers of Texas starts a fair for youth and adult projects.
- 1974Community organizations form the La Salle County Fair Association.
- 1981The first Wild Hog Cook-Off joins the fair.
- 1984–1985A show barn strengthens the livestock program. Facilities expand, and Showmanship and Artistic Presentation join the cook-off.
- 1988–1989Sunday Ranch Rodeo, Champion of Champions, and Wild Hog Futurity broaden the weekend. Artistic Presentation gains separate edible and non-edible divisions.
- 1995–1997The Ben Alexander Estate contributes 20 acres. Expanded exhibit space and a new fair office follow.
History: La Salle County Fair Association ↗.
Photo: FestivalNet fair listing ↗ · reuse permission unstated.
The whole weekend belongs to the community.
Parades, pageants, livestock shows, a carnival, vendors, and live music have made the fair much more than a cooking contest. Families come to celebrate the work of local young people as well as what comes off the pits.
A Sunday with ranch-country spirit.
Billed as “the rowdiest ranch rodeo south of the Frio River,” the Sunday Ranch Rodeo has long been part of Wild Hog Weekend. Its traditions include team contests such as wild cow milking and wild hog sacking, with trophy buckles for the champions. Check the announced program for this year’s lineup.
Weekend traditions: FestivalNet event profile ↗.
Behind the celebration: local youth.
The Fair Association supports scholarships, student contests, and awards. Its sponsorship page describes an event that grew from nine cooking teams to more than 250 teams and around 10,000 patrons annually. Those are the organizer’s figures, and they tell a story of community effort as much as scale.
Membership, volunteering, and support ↗
Reviewed October 24, 2026. For the next schedule, ticket prices, and contest rules, use the fair’s official website.