Manhattan Board Greenlights ‘Pig in the Parking Lot’ 5K and Barbecue Event

Village of Manhattan Board of Trustees Meeting | April 7, 2026

Article Summary: A new family-friendly event combining a 5K race, a children’s dash, and a community pig roast hosted by Arrowhead Smoke Works is officially coming to downtown Manhattan this May.

Pig in the Parking Lot Key Points:

• The combined “Pig in the Parking Lot & Pig Out & Pace Yourself 5K” will take place on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

• The event features a chip-timed 5K/10K, a “Little Piggy Dash” for kids, a rib cook-off, and live music.

• The village expects to offset the $7,395 in estimated expenses through $5,000 in race registrations and local business sponsorships.

The Manhattan Village Board on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, unanimously approved the creation of a new, combined community wellness and culinary event dubbed “Pig in the Parking Lot” and the “Pig Out & Pace Yourself 5K.”

Scheduled for Saturday, May 30, 2026, the downtown event is a partnership between the village and local business Arrowhead Smoke Works. According to the event proposal submitted by Communications Coordinator Kristen Reinke, the day will feature a chip-timed 5K and 10K run/walk beginning at the Wabash Parking Lot at 10:00 a.m.

The athletic portion will be paired with a heavy dose of barbecue. Arrowhead Smoke Works will host a community pig roast celebration behind their establishment at 195 S. State Street, featuring a whole hog carved on-site, a backyard-style rib cook-off competition, and live music from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. To ensure the event remains multi-generational, the village will also host a “Little Piggy Dash”—an untimed 50-to-150-yard run for children—along with face painting and yard games.

“I know we have the Irish Fest 5K, Jog for Jackson, St. Joe’s Run, and a few other ones, but there’s been some interest in maybe some longer races,” Trustee Justin Young, who helped spearhead the idea, told the board. “It’d be kind of a more casual race… a very good family-friendly event, and then we can always try to expand on it in future years.”

During the discussion, the board sought clarity on the event’s financials. A trustee noted that a column in the agenda packet appeared to show expenses exceeding $11,000. Reinke clarified that the hard expenses were estimated at $7,395, with the village projecting a $5,000 return in race registrations. The resulting $2,395 shortfall is expected to be fully offset through local sponsorships ranging from $250 “Little Piggy” tiers to $1,000 “Hog Wild” packages.

“I’m all in favor of getting the community together as much as possible as long as it’s not putting a burden on the taxpayers,” Trustee Tom Doyle said. “I think we should keep adding things that are going to help drive people downtown and help support our businesses.”