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Greased-pig wrestling was once a common community event. Then things got slippery

State lawmakers enacted Chapter 343, Section 343.36, banning greased-pig contests and turkey scrambles, as reported by the Rochester Post-Bulletin.
Because animal-chase events were festival fixtures and generated newspaper photos, lawmakers targeted them amid concern for domesticated animals, with the bill sponsored by Rep. Julian Hook.
A judge in the 1980 Thief River Falls case, described in the Dec. 18, 1980, Minneapolis Tribune coverage, ruled the hog wasn't greased, avoiding punishment.
Despite the statute, enforcement varied as organizers often carried on and some communities held contests while Belgrade and Rollingstone pulled theirs after Humane Society complaints; violation is a misdemeanor.
Longstanding festival traditions faded as greased-pig chases became less common, with Wanatah Summer Festival photo and Rochester Junior Chamber turkey scramble photo showing past popularity while Minnesota's changing cultural norms and legal legacy persist.

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Greased-pig wrestling was once a common community event. Then things got slippery

FARGO — If you’ve never wrestled a greased pig, you’re not alone. Once a staple of small-town festivals across the region, greased pig chases are now much less common, and for good reason. They’re not just dirty. In Minnesota, at least, they are illegal. Deep in the state’s legal code is a curious, seldom-enforced statute that bans wrestling a greased pig or chasing a turkey or chicken. The law is a reminder of how quickly cultural norms can ch…

6 hours ago·Cherokee County, United States

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