Got pig?

Nathan Green's pig cooking recipe is a legacy, passed down from generation to generation. He will be one of the more than 80 cooks featured in the upcoming Newport Pig Cooking Contest.

A resident of Havelock, Green has been cooking competitively for about four years. His father, Mike Green, cooked pigs before he died, and he left his son with the skills and recipes to keep the tradition going.

"I've cooked with Dad for more than 15 years," Green said. "Some of the best times I remember were when the church was selling barbecue on Friday nights and we were cooking."

This weekend, Green will ignite the gas grill on the back of his trailer to cook what he hopes will be the winning pig barbecue.

"Newport, singlehandedly, is the hardest competition around," he said.

Both the number of cooks and their veteran status makes it tough to win, he said. One year he came in seventh, and he hopes to improve on that.

This year is the festival's 30th anniversary. It is the largest whole hog barbecue competition in the United States, drawing close to 15,000 people from Newport and neighboring communities, according to organizers.

"We have something for the whole family," said Jim Bristle, president of the now incorporated charity event that takes place in Newport's town park.

Friday night there are a host of events beginning at 4 p.m., including performances by the Quick Silver Cloggers, the Community Sunshine Band and an Elvis impersonator.

There will be rides, concession stands, and arts and crafts throughout the two-day event.

The pigs cook overnight, and Saturday morning the judges split into two groups to taste-test.

"Basically, the judges are looking at a whole host of factors: flavor, appearance, how brown and crispy the skin is," Bristle explained.

After the awards, the cooks carve up their swine and sell plates for $6 apiece, with serving set to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. All the proceeds after expenses go to local charities within the community.

There will be a host of cooks, some coming from as far as South Carolina and Virginia, but Green pointed out that eastern North Carolina barbecue is unique.

"Three words: vinegar, vinegar, vinegar," he said.

In western North Carolina and other areas, barbecue tends to be tomato-based. Here is the only place vinegar-based barbecue can be found.

"But it is more than just competition," emphasized Green. "It is the camaraderie we share."

And that camaraderie is a good quality to have when you are elbow to elbow with other cooks for an all-night pig cooking contest.

Newport Pig Cooking Contest

• 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

• Entertainment, games, rides and barbecue

• Free admission; barbecue plates $6 each

• Go to www.newportpigcooking.com