What is a ‘Bog-Off’? Here is what you need to know about the huge annual event

If Horry County and South Carolina’s Pee Dee region had an official dish, it almost certainly would be bog.

The chicken-and-rice based recipe has been a staple since before the Revolutionary War because of its heartiness, bulk and deceptively easy roster of ingredients.

“It was created in the Pee Dee area. They tried to feed a lot of people to the farm, and it’s an easy dish to make,” Loris Chamber of Commerce executive director Samantha Norris said.

Every third Saturday in October since 1979, the quiet town of less than 3,000 swells to one of the Grand Strand’s largest as Loris hosts its beloved “Bog-Off Festival.”

It runs this year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 15.

Parking and admission is free but participants are urged to bring cash to pay by the plate.

Norris said nearly 200 vendors in all have signed up, including 15 bog connoisseurs competing for a $750 prize.

An estimated 35,000 people are expected to crowd downtown for the fall classic - and Norris has advice for newcomers.

“I tell people, ‘if you try chicken bog and you don’t like, it you have to try four more.’”

Trained southern eaters might recognize bog as a cousin to the more well-known perlo — a pillar of regional cuisine.

Bog tends to be served a bit more moist than perlo, and some speculate its name derives from the low lying wetlands where the meal originated.

In addition to the namesake food, the day-long celebration includes a car show and free concert headlined by country singer Craig Campbell.

For more information and a complete line-up of activities, visit the Loris Chamber of Commerce’s website at lorischamber.com

This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 12:53 PM.