Hot Dog Days are informal events that are celebrated in communities throughout the hotdog-eating world, including the United States, Canada and Australia. Their origin is obscure. As the name suggests, the festivals revolve around eating

hot dogs A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

, but usually there are many other activities such as

wiener dog The dachshund ( or ; German: "badger dog"), also known as the wiener dog, badger dog, and sausage dog, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, and comes in a variety of c ...

races,

root beer Root beer is a sweet North American soft drink traditionally made using the root bark of the sassafras tree '' Sassafras albidum'' or the vine of '' Smilax ornata'' (known as sarsaparilla, also used to make a soft drink, sarsaparilla) as the ...

chugging contests, and

face painting Body painting is a form of body art where artwork is painted directly onto the human skin. Unlike tattoos and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, lasting several hours or sometimes up to a few weeks (in the case of mehndi or "h ...

. Often the proceeds from a hot dog day are given to charity. Industry groups, such as

National Hot Dog and Sausage Council The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) is an American trade association that promotes the hotdog, hot dog and sausage industry. It was founded in 1994 by the American Meat Institute. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Eric Mittenth ...

in the USA, encourage, sponsor, and support the events. The Council designates July as National Hot Dog Month; National Hot Dog Day varies year to year. It annually falls on the 3rd Wednesday of July, which in 2022 is July 20. The council also gives advice on hot-dog eating etiquette, which aren't considered strict, as most Hot Dog Day style events do not adhere to them.

Notable Hot Dog Festivals

Alfred Village Hot Dog Day

Hot Dog Day is celebrated every spring in the village of

Alfred, New York Alfred is a town in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 4,896 at the 2020 census. The Town of Alfred has a village named Alfred in the center of the town. Alfred University and Alfred State College are located in t ...

. It has been celebrated since 1972, when it was first created and organized by Alfred University students Mark O'Meara and Eric "Rick" Vaughn. The event is focused on the

hot dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

, a food popular among college students for its cheapness and ease of preparation. In the early years, festival-goers could buy a hot dog and a drink for a quarter. Hot Dog Day itself is usually the third Saturday in April, although many students celebrate the entire "hot dog week", running from that Wednesday to that Sunday. Hot Dog Day, which is organized primarily by students from Alfred University and

Alfred State College Alfred State College (ASC, SUNY Alfred, SUNY Alfred State) is a public college in Alfred, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The college, formerly the Technical College at Alfred, offers a wide variety o ...

, raises money for local charities and community organizations such as Alfred Fire Department (A.E. Crandall Hook & Ladder Co.) and Alfred

Montessori School The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

. Events have typically included a parade, ice cream social, "fun run", mud Olympics, hot dog eating contest, carnival, dachshund race, live music, a chicken barbecue and numerous hot dog stands. Since 1998, the engineering department has run a "Pin Hill Derby" race down Pine Hill on the north end of the Alfred University campus. Main Street is closed to traffic during the parade and originally hosted most of these activities. Since 2015, the carnival and arts & crafts fair have been held on the campuses, alternating between them each year. Hot Dog Day is often the time chosen for

alumni Alumni (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...

reunions for Alfred's two colleges. It was announced the festival would return after a two year absence due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

for a 50th Anniversary event in 2022, with the return of both cofounders as grand marshals.,

Annual Hot Dog Lunch on Capitol Hill

The Annual Hot Dog Lunch in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, is one of the most popular social events on Capitol Hill. Sponsored by the

North American Meat Institute The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is a non-profit, industry trade association formed in 2015 from the merger of the ''American Meat Institute'' (AMI) and the ''North American Meat Association'' (NAMA). It is headquartered in metropolitan Wa ...

for the past 40 years, more than 1,000 members of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, Administration officials, journalists and lobbyists gather in a courtyard for a huge hot dog picnic. At the lunch, hot dog companies serve their franks from traditional

hot dog cart A hot dog cart is a specialized mobile food stand for preparing and selling street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold ...

s and popular retired

major league baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

players sign autographs for attendees.

Boston Hot Dog Safari

The Boston Hot Dog Safari is an annual charity benefit founded by

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

sports radio host

Eddie Andelman Eddie Andelman (born 1937 Stoda, Greg"Boston’s Eddie Andelman, godfather of sports talk, still feisty at 77" ''The Palm Beach Post'', July 7, 2014) is an American sports radio talk show host. He has worked over 40 years in sports talk radio in Bo ...

. The charity began in 1990 to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis by raising money for the Joey Fund, named after a friend of his who died of the disease in 1986 at the age of twelve. One of Andelman's all-time favorite foods are

s, which is why the charity is called the Hot Dog Safari. The Hot Dog Safari is one of the most popular charity events in Boston today. Over the years, it has a gained a steady flow of participants as well as money for charity. In one single day, an estimated $150,000 dollars was raised to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Medical experts said that a cure for the disease is close to being found in only a few years' time. The Safari is an all-you-eat supply of hot dogs, sausages, and ice cream sundaes. Money is earned from tickets (sold either at the door or in advance) and raffles. Entertainment is also provided.

West Virginia Hot Dog Festival

The

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

Hot Dog Festival has been held in Huntington, West Virginia, on the last Saturday in July since 2005. A charitable event, the festival may raise $10,000 or more for the children's cancer unit at the Edwards' Comprehensive Cancer Center. Activities include a bun run (or walk), a weiner dog race, the owner-dog look-alike contest, a car and truck show, a hotdog eating contest, and a harmonica championship.

Other hot dog events

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition. It is held each year on July 4th at Nathan's Famous Corporation's original, and best-known restaurant at the corner of Surf a ...

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

- an eating competition at Coney Island on USA Independence Day * Stanley Park, Kitchener,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Optimist Club - Season End Hot Dog Day Celebration * Kiwanis Club of

Ingersoll, Ontario Ingersoll is a town in Oxford County on the Thames River in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The nearest cities are Woodstock to the east and London to the west. Ingersoll is situated north of and along Highway 401. Oxford County Road 119 (former ...

- Hot Dog Day * Newburyport, Massachusetts, Hot Dog Day *

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

Hot Dog Day *

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...

Mennonite Elementary Schools Hot Dog Day * Hot dog lovers in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, celebrate National Hotdog Month by sponsoring Hot Dog Crawls, Hot Dog Safaris & Cook Offs as well as organizing free Hot Dog lunches for Veterans and kid's summer camps during July. * Leo's Lunch & Cafe, Hackettstown NJ Annual National Hot Dog Day Celebration, Free hot dogs, contests & games.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hot Dog Day Allegany County, New York Food and drink festivals Hot dogs July observances Observances about food and drink