Tampa Pig Jig: BBQ and Country at Julian B. Lane

If you're looking for plans this afternoon, the 15th annual Tampa Pig Jig is happening right now over at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in downtown Tampa. The festival runs from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM at 1001 N Blvd, so there's plenty of time to catch the music and the food before it wraps up. It's one of those events that's grown into a real Tampa tradition, and this year's lineup is a big one.

Diamond-certified country star Thomas Rhett headlines, and the rest of the bill fills out nicely with Midland, Kameron Marlowe, Sister Hazel, and Cassidy Daniels. Rhett comes in with 25 number-one hits and more than 16 billion global streams, and he's touring behind his latest album, ABOUT A WOMAN (Deluxe), which dropped in August 2024 with 25 tracks and collaborations with Blake Shelton, Teddy Swims, and Jordan Davis. Midland brings their throwback sound and harmonies, Kameron Marlowe has more than 1.2 billion streams, Sister Hazel is the Gainesville platinum band known for All for You, and Cassidy Daniels has shared the stage with Willie Nelson and Florida Georgia Line. It's a stacked bill for one afternoon.

Beyond the music, the food is a huge part of the draw. The Pig Jig is built around BBQ, and the whole point of the day is to eat your way through the vendors. If you're still deciding on tickets, there's a new GA+ option this year that adds a fast-pass, a dedicated viewing area close to the stage, and three drinks to choose from at any bar in the event. For something more indulgent, the Milestone Supply Lounge tickets come with unlimited barbecue, free drinks, private restrooms, shaded seating, and front-row views of the Pig Jig Stage. Tickets are sold through TIXR, and children 10 and under get in free with the same access as the adult they're with.

What makes the Pig Jig more than just a party is the cause behind it. The event is put on by the HopeWill Foundation, a Tampa-based 501(c)(3) that used to be known as the Old Florida Federation, and it raises money for NephCure, the only nonprofit dedicated to research, treatment, and a cure for Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and Nephrotic Syndrome. The whole thing started as a backyard cookoff among lifelong Tampa friends for their friend Will Wellman, who was diagnosed with FSGS, and the HopeWill Foundation was formed in 2011 to rally around him. Since then, the event has raised more than $15 million and helped launch nearly 60 clinical trials, making it NephCure's largest annual donor nationwide. NephCure itself was founded in 2000 by four patient families and has put more than $40 million into kidney disease research, with more than 60 drugs in clinical trial for rare kidney diseases.

So, if you're in Tampa today, the Pig Jig is an easy way to spend the afternoon: good BBQ, a strong country lineup, and a cause that's actually making a difference. Grab your tickets through TIXR and head down to the riverfront.