@laurakmorton

Competitors in the adult division of a “Grease the Pig” contest attempt to elbow each other out of the way and be the first to catch the pig while playing field games during the Emmitsburg Community Heritage Day in Emmitsburg, Maryland in June 2021. The local Lions Club organized the field games which also included a watermelon eating contest, tug-of-war and sack races for both adults and kids. The pig, by the way, soon figured out that if she stopped and laid down, the competition was over – outsmarting the humans at their own game. ⁠ ⁠ This photo is from a new project, “America’s Homecoming,” I began last summer, documenting the ways that, all across the country, communities celebrate their shared histories and customs with annual, traditional events. At a time of political division and pandemic isolation, I wanted to photograph how Americans were coming together to celebrate community with their neighbors. These events – the county fair, the fireman’s carnival, the annual parade – rarely make the national news, but they are important to the fabric of life in small towns across the country. I began this work using my parent’s home in Gettysburg as a base, photographing around South-Central Pennsylvania and Western Maryland and I’m looking forward to continuing the work this summer. ⁠ ⁠ #Americashomecoming #Maryland #Emmitsburg⁠