How do you sum up Hog Days in just a few words? Or, if you're building a float or maybe designing a t-shirt...what's the theme of Hog Days in any given year? Patriotic? Comedic? Somewhat serious? That is the job of a theme line or tag line.

When Hog Days first began, there were no themes.  It was just Hog Days, ok! The program or schedule was mimeographed on a sheet of paper and handed out and that was that.  Although, in the early 1960s, being all modern as we were then, the schedule started getting mimeographed on COLORED paper! In 1970, Star Courier employee and Kewanee cartoonist of the time, Ray Cruse, began supplying cartoon art to sum up the Festival each year for several years. In 1973, the very first theme or tagline was created to celebrate the 20th Annual Kewanee Hog Days..."3 Cheers For 20 Years!" From then on a theme or tagline was created every year.  Sometimes a contest was held to allow the populace at large to figure out what we were celebrating.  Sometimes the Hog Days Committee or the Chamber of Commerce came up with a theme. For a few years, both organizations were each doing a separate theme much to the confusion of everyone!

So here are 44 reasons (taglines) why we do our annual end of summer Labor Day weekend event!

2013-For 60 Years, In Hogs We Trust!

1999-Remember the Past. Look To the Future!

1995-Family & Community Growing Together!