WINDSOR—A crowd of about 1,600 people filled the woods above Foster’s Pond on Wednesday for the Windsor Ruritan Club’s annual Pig Pickin’ Festival.

A long queue of people lined up, for the 33rd year in a row on James and Nancy Foster’s property, to enjoy a plate of chopped barbecue, cole slaw, beans and a local specialty — fried corn bread – with a cup of iced tea.

“This is the best barbecue anywhere,” said Shirley Hooker of Suffolk. “We’ve been coming here for 10 years, even in the rain.”

“It’s true,” said Jean Holland of Miller’s Tavern, who accompanied her friend.

All 65 members of the Windsor Ruritan Club come out and help with the event, said Wilson Holland, a longtime club member who has been to all 33 festivals.

“We cook, we serve, we make the tea,” Holland said. “It’s a team effort.”

Attendees paid $20 for a ticket to the event. Bentley Richardson, the club’s president, said $1,500 of the proceeds goes to the Boy Scouts, and $500 to the Cub Scouts.

Also, the club offers three $1,000 college scholarships, and donates money to the Boys State and Girls State programs through Windsor High School and to Suffolk Shelter for the Homeless Inc. They also donate to Meals on Wheels.

Richardson said Friday that the event was a success.

“It went really well and it has been going well for 33 years,” he said. “The weather was beautiful.”

See additional photos from this event on www.TidewaterViews.com.