Barbecue and the
Lexington Barbecue Festival bring in tourists from all over the country. Lexington calls itself the "Barbecue Capital of the World". Since 1984, the city has hosted the
Lexington Barbecue Festival, one of the largest street festivals in North Carolina. As of 2003, the city has over twenty barbecue restaurants, an average of more than one per thousand residents. In 2012,
U.S. News & World Report ranked Lexington #4 on its list of the best cities for
barbecue. Lexington-style barbecue is made with
pork shoulder cooked slowly over a
hardwood fire, usually
hickory. It is basted in a sauce (called "dip" locally) made with
vinegar,
ketchup, water, salt, pepper and other spices. The ingredients vary from restaurant to restaurant, with each restaurant's recipe being a closely guarded secret. While each is vinegar-based, the taste varies widely from tangy to slightly sweet or spicy. The most distinguishing feature of the "Lexington Barbecue Sandwich" is the inclusion of
red slaw (sometimes called "barbecue slaw"). Red slaw is a combination of cabbage, vinegar, ketchup and crushed/ground black pepper; it is distinguishable from
coleslaw because it contains no mayonnaise. Many Lexingtonians (and visitors) consider red slaw a staple for a quality barbecue experience. Red slaw is commonly served as a side dish with barbecue, grilled poultry and other meats, and on
hot dogs as a relish.
Pigs in the City "Pigs in the City" is a public art initiative coordinated by Uptown Lexington, Inc., a
non-profit organization created to revitalize the downtown area of Lexington. People paid commissions to artists to decorate life-sized sculptures of pigs, which were installed throughout the city. Pigs in the City began in 2003, and the event drew more than 40,000 visitors from all over the state in its first year. The cost to "sponsor" one of the 20 pigs on display was $1,000 during the first exhibition, which paid for the initiative. The event ran from 2003–2005, and 2008–2009. In 2019, it was announced that Pigs in the City will return in 2020.
High Rock Lake The second largest lake in North Carolina, High Rock Lake is located a few miles south of Lexington. Its water surface covers , and it has of shoreline. It begins at the confluence of the
Yadkin and South Yadkin rivers. High Rock Lake has long been considered one of the best fishing lakes of North Carolina. It is the site of the Bassmaster Tournaments, including the
Bassmaster Classic in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2007 and frequently is used for other angling competitions. The lake is stocked with
channel,
blue, and
flathead catfish, plus
crappie and several different
sunfish, such as
bluegill,
shellcracker and others.
Striper and their
hybrids, as well as
white bass, are also abundant. The lake is best known for its quantity and quality of
largemouth bass, which attract anglers from all over the United States. This is likely due to the relatively shallow nature of the lake and the favorable habitat for the bass. ==Geography==