"People love the hog calling contest," The Well Outreach's Sassen told Spring Hill {local} for its October 2026 issue. "We have people enter from five years old up to 85 years old. Some of them with authentic hog calls, some of them with creative hog calling, and it's just wonderful to have the community show such support."
That contest is back this Saturday at Oaklawn Mansion. It comes one day after Harvey Park's rebuilt playground reopens. The two events look like a normal October weekend. Both began when someone in Spring Hill identified a need and set out to meet it. The playground was redesigned because a city parks commissioner saw too few places where kids of all abilities could play. The festival is the main fundraiser for a food pantry that now serves more than ten times as many families as it did in 2019.
Friday at Harvey Park, a Playground Redesigned Around Access
Williamson Source reported on Oct. 12 that Harvey Park Playground officially reopens Friday, Oct. 16. Spring Hill Parks and Recreation starts a celebration at 4 p.m. with music.
This is a full replacement, not a coat of paint. According to NewsChannel 5, Spring Hill parks and recreation commissioner Mary Ann Lapenta pushed for the project after she identified a gap in accessible play spaces for families. The renovation replaces all existing equipment and puts the whole playground inside a new fence. Lapenta told the station, "It's going to be a little larger in area than what you see now, and all the equipment will be replaced."
NewsChannel 5 described the design announced in May 2026:
- A 13,760-square-foot play area with full turf surfacing
- 15 slides and 17 climbers
- 15 interactive and sensory panels, plus 4 musical instruments
- 2 Mommy & Me swings, a saucer swing, 3 belt swings, and an inclusive swing
- 108 feet of ramp and 3,280 square feet of shade
- 2 wheelchair-accessible pieces with movement
- 46 elevated activities, 26 reachable by ramp and 34 by transfer
- A separate toddler play area, with 4 benches, 2 of them swinging
The ramp numbers show what the redesign is for. On many playgrounds, the elevated decks are where the action is, and a child who can't climb stairs can't get there. Here, 26 of the 46 elevated activities can be reached by ramp. The fence matters to any parent who has chased a toddler across a parking lot.
There is a second, less visible piece of the work. The city's request for proposals, posted in November 2025, required the contractor to remove the old equipment and raise the play area at least one foot to keep creek water out. It also required drainage and accessibility fixes. A May 2026 city staff memo says the Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a design-and-construction contract with Miracle of KY & TN on April 6, 2026. The memo also notes that the city budget set aside $1 million to replace the playground.
The same memo hoped for a reopening in mid-to-late August. Friday's date is about two months later than that.
Saturday at Oaklawn, the Fundraiser Behind Two Food Pantries
The next morning, the gap is food. The Well Outreach holds its 21st annual John Maher Builders Whole Hog Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds of historic Oaklawn Mansion. Enter off Denning Lane. Parking is free, accessible parking is available, and tickets are sold at the front entrance. Spring Hill {local} lists admission at $10, with children 5 and under free.
Festival profits support The Well Outreach's food pantries in Spring Hill and Mount Pleasant. The magazine calls the festival The Well's biggest community fundraiser.
The Well served 2,400 families in 2019. In 2026, it is serving more than 28,000 families, which is more than ten times the 2019 figure. The magazine ties the increase to growing numbers of struggling families in Maury County.
Speaking to Spring Hill {local}, Sassen said the work happens every week with about 400 volunteers. The Well also partners with more than 80 local churches on its Jetpack program and its mobile food pantries. When a local group's caseload grows that fast, its biggest single fundraising day carries more weight every year. That's the context for this year's new addition.
What's New on the Grounds This Year
The headline change for 2026 is the Whole Hog Pitmaster Cookoff, an official competition among internationally recognized pitmasters. The Well's festival page says this means "more hog at the Whole Hog Festival."
Visitors get a vote through the People's Choice tasting. According to Spring Hill {local}, $12 buys tastings from four of the competing pitmasters, plus baked beans, potato chips, a drink, and a roll. The festival page and the magazine give different counts for how many pitmasters are competing. Plan on choosing your four once you see who's set up that morning.
The returning favorites are still on the schedule:
Hog calling contest. It's open to entrants from age 5 to 85. Some use authentic calls and some go for creative ones.
Bacon eating contest. The magazine says it has grown in popularity over the past couple of years. Food Lion partners on the prize: free bacon for a year for the winner.
Kids' zone. Local businesses donate many of the free activities, and The Well's festival page lists rides as well.
Regional craft fair. The magazine calls it a major attraction. Live music plays from the festival soundstage.
One craft booth is worth finding. Hope House is a Christian gift store that recently opened on The Well's Spring Hill campus, and it will be selling at the craft fair. Its merchandise sales go toward the food pantry.
Planning the Two Saturdays
The following Saturday adds one more stop. The City of Spring Hill's calendar lists Trunk or Treat for Saturday, Oct. 24, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Fischer Park at Port Royal, 4285 Port Royal Road.
Date | Event | Where | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fri., Oct. 16 | Harvey Park Playground reopening celebration | Harvey Park | Starts 4 p.m. | Public invited |
Sat., Oct. 17 | 21st annual Whole Hog Festival | Oaklawn Mansion, entry off Denning Lane | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | $10; 5 and under free; $12 tasting package |
Sat., Oct. 24 | Trunk or Treat | Fischer Park at Port Royal, 4285 Port Royal Road | 5 to 8 p.m. | Listed on the city calendar |
A few practical notes. Festival tickets are sold at the entrance, so you don't need to buy anything ahead of time. Oaklawn's free parking includes accessible spaces. The Harvey Park celebration starts at 4 p.m. Friday, and the festival opens at 10 a.m. the next morning. If you'd like to help with the festival itself, The Well posts volunteer shifts for the event through its festival page.
If this weekend has you weighing which part of Spring Hill keeps Harvey Park or Port Royal within an easy walk or a short drive, I'm glad to talk it through with no pressure at all. Reach out to Aaron C. Lovett | TN Real Estate Professional and let's connect.
