New York City is hosting a "hot dog summit" – and it's exactly as strange as you think!
New York, New York - To be frank, you won't want to miss the grand finale of Manhattan's Hot Dog in the City!
The giant hot dog in Times Square and all the fantastically thought-provoking food-related public programming surrounding it are winding down as the installation, which can be found at Broadway & 46th Street, will be closing up shop on June 13.
It will be emotional saying goodbye to the huge and delightfully ominous confetti-shooting hotdog cannon – that much is obvious.
But what kind of grand frankfurter finale could an already ostentatious display have to offer? After all, they've already had a wrestling match, a canine beauty pageant, and a hot-dog-eating contest!
Well, get ready because the final programming entry for Hot Dog in the City is nothing less than a gloriously weird Hot Dog Summit at Town Hall (123 W 43rd St) on Sunday, June 9, from 12-5 PM.
Grab your tickets to the Hot Dog Summit and get ready for some juicy medium rare hot dog goss'.
What can we expect from New York City's so-called "Hot Dog Summit?"
Hot Dog in the City's Hot Dog Summit promises to be "a day of frank conversation," debate, performance, and discussion panels made up of hot dog experts.
That's right, folks, hot dog experts!
Food historians, competitive eaters, sausage artisans, street vendors, authors, activists, and artists will all be there to weigh in on the "who what when where and why" of weiners.
The Hot Dog in the City website says that these frankfurter scholars – including comedian and author Jaime Loftus (Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs), feminist-vegan activist and writer Carol J. Adams (The Sexual Politics of Meat), food sociologist Krishnendu Ray, and Street Vendor Project's Mohamed Attia – will "draw unexpected parallels between the history of the hot dog and capitalism, consumption, and politics of the American dream."
According to the organizers, there are "critical issues [to] unpack from just beneath the skin of this unassuming sausage" including the patriarchy of meat-eating, food sovereignty, the American immigrant experience, gender bias in competitive eating, and more!
Deli discourse will be garnished by an operatic presentation on the meat-packing industry plus a condiment debate from the high schoolers of the American Debate League.
Pop back over to Times Square on Thursday, June 13 at noon for Hot Dog in the City's Closing Ceremony and the election results for ultimate hotdog condiment supremacy. Cast your vote here!
Cover photo: Times Square Arts