How Many Hot Dogs Can You Eat? Find Out at Maine’s Annual Red Hot Dog Festival

Maine’s Annual Red Hot Dog Festival

The Dog Day is back, baby!

Maine’s annual Red Hot Dog Festival has returned to the state for its 5th year of red snappah-filled fun. Dogs will be drawing people to downtown Dexter on August 13 for a day filled with events, food, and activities.

Red snappers are a huge deal to me and are apparently a big deal for my fellow Mainers as well because the event is 9 HOURS long from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and they’re expecting to pack in 5,000 - 7,000 people, according to an article by WGME.

Dexter may be a little under a 2-hour drive from Portland but I very well may be one of those 7,000 people flocking in for the dawgs. There’s a lot happening: food and drink vendors, beer and wine tents, children’s activities, a 5K Bun-Run race, stars from “Maine Cabin Masters” and, drum roll please…

Red Hot Dog Eating Contest

Sign. Me. Up.

I have dabbled in one hot dog eating contest in my life except it was more personal than it was official. It was through a work event when I worked at Toyota and it was among me and my managers. I won.

I’d like to take my skills to the professional level and dabble in a certified hot dog eating contest and this may be my chance. I’m going to be taking down at least 15 red snappers anyway, I may as well get pride and purpose out of it.

To pump things up even more, there will also be four stages with live bands playing all day. This is going to be quite the event, as it should be! Mainers love our red snappers!!