Chicago History Museum Celebrated Hot Dog History with 35,000 Visitors

The Chicago History Museum welcomed record-breaking attendance at the fourth annual Chicago Hot Dog Fest this past weekend.

More than 35,000 visitors made it to the three-day family-friendly celebration took place Friday, August 5 – 7 at the corner of Clark St. and LaSalle Dr. just steps away from the Chicago History Museum in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Attendance was up 40 percent from 2015 which saw 25,000 visitors.

“Chicagoan’s love for the Chicago hot dog and all of the stories around this beloved favorite continue to amaze us,” said David Deyhle, Vice President of External Relations at the Chicago History Museum. “With a 40 percent increase in Fest attendance this year, the Chicago Hot Dog Fest is growing to be one of Chicago’s most treasured festivals.”

The Chicago Hot Dog Fest launched in 2013 as a way to raise awareness about the Chicago History Museum and celebrate Chicago’s favorite food – the hot dog.

“In the four short years we’ve seen the Chicago Hot Dog Fest grow from a couple thousand visitors to more than 35,000,” said Deyhle. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to fulfill the Museum’s mission to share Chicago’s stories.”

The classic Chicago-style hot dog, made exclusively with Vienna® Beef, was the star of the festival. Visitors enjoyed hot dogs from Byron’s Hot Dogs, Frannie’s Beef and Catering, Wiener Take All, Flashy Hot Dogs, Fatso’s Last Stand, and many more.

The Fest welcomed music headliners American English, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, and Catfight. Families and kids enjoyed craft activities, rides, face-painting and kid-friendly musical entertainment. Hot dog historians took to the Speaker Stage to weigh in on everything from the fiercely debated topic “Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?” to Chicago’s most notorious condiment – ketchup.
For more information on the Chicago Hot Dog Fest please visit chicagohotdogfest.com.

The Chicago History Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

The Chicago History Museum is situated on ancestral homelands of the Potawatomi people, who cared for the land until forced out by non-Native settlers. Established in 1856, the Museum is now at 1601 N. Clark Street in Lincoln Park, its third location. As a major museum and research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming, the Museum connects people to Chicago’s history and to each other. To share Chicago stories, the Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents, images and other items that are relevant to the city’s history. The Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago.