Every year in the fall, the Tampa Pig Jig brings some of the best live music, scrumptious food, ice cold brews, and a hot barbecue show down to Tampa’s downtown waterfront. However, there is more to the epic Pig Jig in Florida than good food and a good time.
The Tampa Pig Jig is a philanthropic event that raises money for NephCure Kidney international. NephCure is the only nonprofit organization that is committed to supporting research into and improving treatment for the debilitating and often deadly kidney disease, Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and Nephrotic Syndrome.
In short, the Tampa Pig Jig is wholly about curing this tragic kidney disease. So, let’s discuss The Tampa Pig Jig – What It’s About and What to Expect.
Tampa Pig Jig – The Backstory
A dozen years ago, when one of their friends was diagnosed with a rare and debilitating kidney disease, Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and Nephrotic Syndrome, a group of lifelong Tampa compadres came to their friend’s aid. They decided to join forces and put on a backyard barbecue calling it a Pig Jig.
It was a relatively small fundraiser for their friend Will Wellman dealing with a new yet lifelong FSGS diagnosis. So, what began as nothing more than a backyard barbecue among lifelong friends eventually morphed into what is now known as the Tampa Pig Jig on the River.
It is now an annual waterfront fundraiser. What was once just friends helping friends has become something else entirely. That backyard barbecue is now a huge concert featuring nationally recognized country and rock music artists, delicious food, ice-cold brews, a now-corporate barbecue competition, and so much more!
Notably, when the event began back in 2011, there were few treatments for Will Wellman’s disease and no cure at all. Now, there are nearly 60 clinical trials in play, and they were all largely funded by NephCure Kidney International.
Why does that matter here? by NephCure Kidney International’s largest annual donor is the Tampa Pig Jig. That’s progress! In the decade since its inception, the Jig has raised more than $7 million for the rare kidney disease that impacts fewer than 200,000 America’s lives and thus receives little attention from pharmaceutical companies.
What’s Coming This Year to the Tampa Pig Jig
This year, Tampa’s Pig Jig will again have a lineup of stellar musical artists. In fact, it was announced in May that Grammy winners Brad Paisley and Amanda Shirts will be performing that the fundraiser going down at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in October.
The lineup also includes country music star Riley Green (“I Wish Grandpas Never Died”), the Seattle Indy folk band, The Head and the Heart (“Every Sade of Blue”), and folk duo Shovels & Rope (“Mississippi Nuthin”).
The Tampa Pig Jig will go down on October 21, 2023, and tickets have been on sale since May 19. General admission to the shindig will run you $125, while VIP tickets go up to $275. The good news is, children 10 and younger attend for free.
The Tampa Pig Jig Lineup
- Brad Paisley
- Riley Green
- The Head and the Heart
- Shovels & Rope
- Amanda Shires
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