West Virginia Hot Dog Festival
The West Virginia Hot Dog Festival is an annual hot dog festival to celebrate the unique variations of local/regional hot dogs, held in Huntington, West Virginia. The first West Virginia Hot Dog Festival was held on July 30, 2005. This first event, founded by John Mandt Jr owner of Stewarts Original Hot Dogs, brought in $8,000 for the Hoops Family Children's Hospital. As of 2024, the festival has raised over $250,000 for its cause. = The West Virginia Hot Dog consists of chili sauce, made from ground beef, tomatoes and peppers, chopped onion, coleslaw and yellow mustard. The West Virginia Hot Dog Festival hosts an array of events including: Car shows Dog costume contest Hot Dog sauce/chili contest Hot Dog eating competition Root Beer drinking competition Weiner dog races Hot Dog Day Hot dog variations