Chicken bog takes over downtown Loris each October as cooks, food vendors, musicians, and thousands of festivalgoers gather for the annual Loris Bog-Off Festival.
The festival started in 1980 as a chicken bog cooking contest, and that competition is still at the center of the day. Around it you'll find more than 200 vendors, two stages of entertainment, a large children's area, and plenty more to eat.
What Is Chicken Bog?
Chicken bog is one of the dishes most closely associated with this part of South Carolina. The basic combination is chicken, rice, sausage, and seasonings, though recipes vary from cook to cook and family to family.
The Bog-Off gives you a chance to see just how different those versions can be. Competition cooks make their recipes on site, while other vendors serve chicken bog and plenty of other festival food throughout the day.
The Top Bog Cooking Competition
The Top Bog Cooking Competition remains the centerpiece of the festival. The contest is open to amateur cooks, with competitors preparing at least 20 quarts of chicken bog for judging and public sampling.
Official judging begins at noon. Once the judges' portions have been collected, the cooks begin serving samples for the People's Choice Award, giving festivalgoers a chance to taste the competing recipes and pick a favorite.
People's Choice sampling is limited, so getting there earlier is a good idea if tasting the competition bog is high on your list. Current public information does not yet give the 2026 sampling price.
More Chicken Bog and Festival Food
Missing out on the competition samples doesn't mean missing out on chicken bog. The festival has cooks serving plates of the local favorite, along with a long lineup of other food vendors.
Expect the usual festival temptations, too, from savory food to sweets such as funnel cakes and homemade ice cream.
If the festival leaves you wanting to make some at home, see our Rodney Scott's collard greens recipe and Melvin's Legendary collard greens recipe for a couple of sides that would feel right at home beside a bowl of bog.
Music, Vendors, and Family Fun
The Bog-Off spreads well beyond the cooking area. More than 200 craft, retail, and food vendors fill downtown, while two stages host local dance schools, school choruses, bands, and other performers.
There's also a large children's area, making it easy to spend much of the day downtown even after you've had your fill of chicken bog.
The celebration traditionally closes with a free concert by a national act and a fireworks show. The Chamber has confirmed both for 2026, though the detailed entertainment schedule has not yet been posted.
Start the Day With the Chicken Run
Runners can get an early start with the Loris “Chicken Run” Bog-Off 5K. The race begins at 8 a.m. at the corner of Casey and Meeting streets in downtown Loris.
The 5K is organized by the Loris Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Horry County Parks and Recreation and requires its own registration.
What to Know Before You Go
- Location: Downtown Loris, SC 29569
- Admission: Free
- Chicken Run 5K: Starts at 8 a.m.; separate registration required
- Top Bog judging: Begins at noon
- People's Choice: Competition samples are served after official judging samples are collected
- Also: 200+ vendors, two entertainment stages, children's activities, a free concert, and fireworks
Admission: Free
Event Organizer
Organizer
- Phone
- 843-756-6030
