The Pigs in the City participants will be unveiled Monday at a public reception at Riverside Arena.

Saturday, May 20, 2000

The Pigs in the City participants will be unveiled Monday at a public reception at Riverside Arena.

This will be the first opportunity for the public to see all the concrete pigs sponsored by individuals, organizations and businesses.

The open house begins at 5 p.m. Monday and concludes at 7:30 p.m.

According to the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, guests at the reception will be asked to vote on their favorite decorated pig.

The ballots will also be registration slips for prize drawings at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

The first prize is $100 in Chamber Bucks. Second prize is worth $50 in Chamber Bucks and third prize is work $25 in Chamber Bucks.

There will be an additional drawing for a door prize of a stay at Holiday Inn of Austin in the whirlpool suite. Sponsors include Holiday Inn of Austin, Torge’s Bar and Grille and Days Inn.

The Spamettes will entertain at 5:45 p.m. Monday with the auction beginning at 6 p.m.

The last registration will be accepted at 6:15 p.m.

The Chamber of Commerce promotion follows the example set last year in Chicago, Ill., where a special "Cows in the City" promotion was held.

There has been one casualty of the promotion: one of the 400-pound concrete pigs was stolen.

However, all will be on display Monday night.

Steven L. Jones, who owns and operates Steve’s Concrete Gallery at his farm in Fillmore County, was commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce to sculpt the pigs.

The herd of gray swine the public will see Monday night will be unlike any others.

Local high school art students and others with a creative imagination have been laboring to decorate the pigs in the most eye-catching style.

Over 60 concrete pigs will point the way to summertime fun in Austin.

There is no admission fee for Monday night’s Pigs in the City reception, auction, entertainment and other activities.