Yes neighbors, a pig was indeed spotted in Pioneer Park on July 4th - he was even seen serving up some of his own kind to hungry crowds before capturing the 1st Annual Mission Hills BBQ Competition trophy. It was all part of the MH Town Council’s Annual 4th of July Celebration in Pioneer Park. The crowd was estimated at over a thousand, all enjoying the perfect summer weather and live music. The event kicked off with the ever-popular parade of patriotic garbed kids, dogs, and parents. When revelers got to Pioneer Park they were greeted by the smell of barbecued pork, cooked up by five teams vying for prizes, bragging rights, and a trophy that will be passed year to year. Teams competing were the Barbecutioner, Team Mission Hills Life, Mission Pork, Smoke Monsters, and the Ascent Real-Toros. MH Town Council members could taste and eat for free and over 65 new households signed up on the spot. The competition was fierce, many of the competitors having been up in the wee hours, having slow smoked their pork for up to 12 hours. In the end, it was the Ascent Real-Toros taking home the trophy with their “asian red bull pork”, Mission Hills Life coming second, and Smoke Monsters third.The judges consisted of Phil Pace of Phil’s BBQ, Mike Berg of Bergie’s Pub, Steve Ferguson of Waters Catering, Mark Fehlman from the Town Council, and Mission Hills resident BBQ aficionado Bob Rose. Matthew & Melissa Hernholm of the Hernholm Group officiated. Prizes were donated by Phil's BBQ, Lefty's Pizza, Bergie's Pub, Mission Hills Nursery, Siesel's Meats, Success Wellness Center, and the Frame Station. Jim Gates, a local resident, architect, and "should be" professional trophy maker created our one of a kind masterpiece of a trophy that will have the winning team's name emblazoned on it for generations of Mission Hills residents to see. Phil's BBQ provided much of the material support such as plates, napkins, and forks, while local embroidering company, ForeverCali.com, donated the competitor's aprons with the official BBQ logo. Plans are already in the works for next year’s competition, so if you want to compete, start practicing and let us know so we can notify you about sign up for next year!
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT!
