This year’s Hog Wild Festival in downtown Brookhaven will feature hogs of a different flavor. 

The 2015 Hog Wild Bar-B-Que Cook-off and Family Festival is jumping off its fifth year sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, bringing with it teams from Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

The Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Association is hosting the event, which will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Railroad Park. The biggest part of the event is a barbecue cook-off that will feature about 30 cooks.

The festival will also feature a cystic fibrosis 5K walk, a 3D archery shoot, area musicians, a motorcycle show and vendors.

“There’ll be vendors selling just about anything you can think of,” Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Association Chairman Mark Porter said.

He said there will be barbecue and entertainment — for adults and kids — as well as local artists selling their latest creations.

All the money raised from the one-day event goes toward the eight volunteer fire departments in Lincoln County, which are made of approximately 160 volunteers. Porter said last year’s festival brought the departments $15,000 before expenses.

Porter said set-up for barbecue contest will begin Friday night, allowing meat to be cooked over-night and most likely tempting anyone who drives past Railroad Park that night. Judging for the contest will be the following day with the winners being announced at 4 p.m.

Barbecuers will compete in four categories: chicken, pork ribs, pork and beef brisket. The grand champ who wins first out of all four categories will receive $1,000 and the reserve champ, or second-place contestant, receives $500. Cash prizes ranging from $200 to $400 dollars will be given to winners in each category in the pro division.

LCVFA Co-Chairman Adam Wallace said the festival is the best fundraiser for the local volunteer fire departments. Wallace has worked at the Hog Chain VFD since 2008 with this year being his second year as co-chairman for the association.The association’s committee is made up of one representative from each of the VFDs in the county. Planning for this year’s event started in September.

Wallace encourages everyone to come out and support their local VFDs and volunteers. For those that stick around, there may be a chance to get a taste of some prize-winning barbecue.