Pig Jig returns to Sidewalk Sales

The Pig Jig was such a successful addition to last year’s Sidewalk Sales, the Tecumseh Chamber of Commerce is bringing back the food and fun for a second year on Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19.“We have a great company coming in to roast the pork,” said Vicki Philo, executive director of the chamber. “We had a really good response from the community last year. People had a great time sitting outside.”The Pig Jig starts at 4 p.m. on Friday and at noon on Saturday. The fun continues each day until the food runs out.Last year, according to Philo, about 200 people enjoyed the pork roast. “We’re hoping to increase that number this year. We wanted to add to the sidewalk sales and draw people downtown,” she said.A street dance will close off S. Evans St. between Chicago Blvd. and Pottawatamie. “We have entertainment starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday,” Philo said.Part of the event is a beer tent sponsored by Evans Street Station in front of the restaurant on S. Evans St. There is a charge for food and beverages, but the music is free.Other activities during Sidewalk Sales are happening throughout the city. The Tecumseh Fire Department starts Saturday off with a pancake breakfast at the fire hall from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. The fire department continues the fun with a waterball tournament at noon.Waterball is a popular game with firefighters, but the tournament is open to any team of four or five players. Using fire hoses, two teams have three minutes to move a ball into different scoring areas on a cable that’s 10 to 12 feet in the air. “It’s a timed evolution,” said Tecumseh Fire Chief Joe Tuckey. “The ball doesn’t just stay straight on the line, it is spinning around 360 degrees. And players are going to get wet.”At a certain point a team can even add a second hose to the battle. The nozzle man guides the water to move the ball, while another person carries the weight of the hose. “That way the nozzle man doesn’t have to fight the ball and the hose at the same,” Tuckey said.After each match, the winning team advances. “It’s like a round robin event,” said Tuckey. “Waterball is fun for everybody.”Anyone interested in putting together a team for the waterball tournament should contact the fire department at 423.4545.