RALEIGH, N.C. – Oct. 17, 2026 – The Pit Authentic Barbecue is gearing up to celebrate its favorite day of the year, National Whole Hog Barbecue Day.
The Pit will celebrate the big day – which falls annually on the third Saturday in October – by showcasing what it does best in Raleigh – with a pig-pickin’ outside the restaurant in the Warehouse District on Davie Street. All are invited to stop by The Pit from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday to talk to our pitmasters about whole-hog barbecue. They’ll share how The Pit cooks hogs slow and low over hardwood charcoal, and how to chop and season the pork to taste just like it always has for hundreds of years in Eastern North Carolina.
From 3-5 p.m. local first responders are invited to stop by to enjoy some whole-hog barbecue sliders to thank them for all they do to keep our downtown Raleigh neighbors safe. The tradition of whole-hog barbecue started in Eastern North Carolina and dates back over 350 years to the first settlers in the region. Although barbecue lovers may disagree on the best type of barbecue sauce for their pork, everyone agrees that vinegar-based chopped whole-hog barbecue is where it all began.
Wood smoke and smoldering charcoal are a sign of the season. Traditionally cooked over wood and charcoal, whole-hog barbecue uses the whole pig, everything from the nose to the tail. Every year, pitmasters and barbecue lovers from all over the Southeast celebrate National Whole Hog Barbecue Day, coinciding with North Carolina’s historic State Fair in October.
