NYC – Nathans Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest – 4th of July in Coney Island

Nathans Famous 2023 Hot Dog Eating Contest

July 4, 2023
Beginning at 11:00 am, ending about 1:00 pm

By Nathan’s Famous at Surf and Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island

The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is back!

The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is one of the most iconic events in American culture. For over 100 years, people have gathered in Coney Island to watch contestants stuff their faces with hot dogs.

This year’s contest will be no different. The event will take place on Tuesday, July 4th, and will feature some of the top hot dog eaters in the world. The current record holder, Joey Chestnut, will be looking to defend his title.

This year’s contest will take place at Nathan’s Famous flagship restaurant in Coney Island. The event will start at 11:00 am, and will feature both men’s and women’s competitions.

In the past, the contest has drawn tens of thousands of spectators, so be sure to arrive early if you want a good spot. And don’t forget to bring your appetite! The current record for most hot dogs eaten in a single competition is 76, set by Joey Chestnut in 2022.

But even if you’re not up for eating a dozen hot dogs, the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is still a great way to celebrate Independence Day. There will be live music, dancing, and of course, plenty of hot dogs.

So head on down to Coney Island on July 4th and see who can eat the most hot dogs!

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2019 Nathans Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Nathan’s Famous in Brooklyn’s Coney Island
1310 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224

Introductions to this year’s contestants begin at 12:00 pm on July 4

All taking place at the usual spot outside of Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues.

Have a look as well as our collection of photos from past related Nathan’s events!

Below are images from the last time we covered, first hand, this yearly Coney Island event.

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Here’s Joey Chestnut shortly after the announcement of his win after a near controversial finish. Who was the actual winner was discussed amongst the judges since it was originally thought that both Joey and Takeru had eaten 63 hot dogs each.
Notice in this photo how Joey’s pants and belt are loosened.
Guess that’s what this much food will do to a person.

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   Joey Chestnut walking along on the stage upon his introduction by host George Shea.

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Here are 2007 Photos from the Weigh In which took place at City Hall Park.

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Here is the Takeru Kobayashi & Joey Chestnut Stare Down at the Weigh In which took place at
City Hall Park, July 3, 2007 about 24 hours prior to the big showdown in Coney Island.

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Both stars show that it’s not all about competition.
The Japanese Phenom and our American Hero get chummy for our cameras.
Joey himself had recently topped Kobayashi’s record by eating a record number 59.5 hotdogs & buns in 12 minutes! WOW!

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New York City’s Fave Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg takes a chomp out of a hotdog.
Sorry Mr. Mayor, but New Yorkled simply couldn’t resist getting this shot. You Rock!

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Here is what 59 1/2 HotDog and Buns Looks Like!
The number which it took Joey to blast Kobayashi’s record out of the water.

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Just as we begin I managed to get a hold of Patrick Bertoletti & Joey Chestnut to wish them luck…’not that they’d need it. Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago Illinois and dubbed as the “Italian Scallion” by host George Shea has broken his own share of world records.

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Of course we can’t go on without mentioning these two local stars, right?
Timothy Janus & Crazy Legs Conti, both of NYC and both with their own share of bragging rights to smashed records.

Our Own Videos:

Takeru Kobayashi & Joey Chestnut – StareDown

Published by New Yorkled

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Takeru Kobayashi answers some questions at the Weigh In

Part 1 – The SHOW DOWN! – Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

https://youtu.be/LlCndtMuEkc

Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest – 2007

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Video Coverage by other outlets:

Joey Chestnut pummels record 74 hot dogs to win Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for 11th time | ESPN

Published by ESPN

2015 Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest

Published by Matt Stonie

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Best Introductions At 2018 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

Published by The Comeback

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The following items below are from past years…
Stay tuned for updates to come regarding 2019’s Main Event

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITES

10:00 A.M. – ENTERTAINMENT BEGINS ON MAIN STAGE

11:00 A.M. – GEORGE SHEA OPENS THE 98TH ANNUAL HOT DOG EATING CONTEST

11:15 A.M. – INTRODUCTION OF WOMEN CONTESTANTS

11:30 A.M. – WOMEN’S CONTEST BEGINS

12:00 P.M. – ESPN SHOW BEGINS

12:30 P.M. – INTRODUCTION OF MALE CONTESTANTS

12:40 P.M. – MEN’S CONTEST BEGINS

12:55 P.M. – TROPHY PRESENTATION

New Yorkled has not participated in media coverage of the event in quite some time, but looks forward to doing so again in the future one day.

The event, to be aired live on ESPN, will feature 16 eaters including three-time world champion Joey Chestnut, who faces top challengers from around the nation.  More than 20,000 fans have come to the free event in the past several years, arriving as early as 10 am.  For these fans, Nathan’s Famous produces a pre-show from 10 am to 12 Noon.  Nathan’s Famous also offers a jumbotron to increase visual access for fans in the back of the crowd.

This year, the pre-show will feature three acts by the Ringling Bros. circus and musical acts including rapper Badlands Booker, local singer-songwriter Amos Wengler, rising DJ 80hd and the soul-inspired band, X-cluzive with Sonni Dey.  In addition, there will be a neat-eating contest for children and a high-flying trampoline act.

Pepto-Bismol, a new sponsor for the contest, will have an interactive fan area set-up on-site with thundersticks, fan photos and giveaways.

Those traveling to Coney Island by subway can take the D, F, N or Q to the Stillwell Avenue terminal.  Those driving can take Exit 6, Cropsey Avenue, off the Belt Parkway and take Cropsey Avenue toward the south and the ocean, turning left at Surf Avenue.

As a preview to the July 4 event three male humans will compete against three female elephants on July 2 at 11 am in the first-ever cross-species, cross-gender eating contest at Ringling Bros. circus at 21st Street and Surf Avenue in Coney Island.

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Please note:
The contest this year will take place at the usual spot in Coney Island.
Unfortunately New Yorkled won’t be there this year for photos or video.
So take a look below at videos, photos and old news from 2007 and 2006.
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From 2007

Joey Chestnut Wins and beats his own world record
by eating 66 Hotdogs & Buns in 12 minutes!

Takeru Kobayashi comes in 2nd with 63 and Patrick Bertoletti comes in 3rd with 49.
More Videos and Photos to come….Stay tuned.

In the above video are the final 2 minutes of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest which took place in Coney Island, NYC followed by the ensuing confusion over who was the actual champion. Takeru Kobayashi or Joey Chestnut. Those final minutes were really filled with quite the bit of apprehension amongst the crowds as everyone couldn’t fathom how the number of hotdogs eaten could be mistaken. Take a look.
BTW, New Yorkled’s awaiting for our much larger and higher quality version to be approved by Google. Once that’s done then it’ll show up here.

Hot Dog Contest History

The Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held at Nathan’s Famous on the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island each year since 1916, according to legend.

At midday each Fourth of July, a group of 20 steely-eyed individuals line up behind a 30-foot table to begin the 12-minute contest. These competitors, known in the sport of competitive eating as gurgitators, may not appear athletic to the untrained eye of John Q. Public. However, they are among the finest athletes in the world.

The all-time world record is held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan, who ate 50 ½ Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes at the 2002 championship. Prior to Kobayashi, Japanese competitors such as Kazatuyo Arai and Hirofumi Nakajima broke records in Coney Island and beat U.S. champions including Edward “The Animal” Krachie of Maspeth, NY and Steve Keiner of Egg Harbor, NJ.

The current American record holder is Cookie Jarvis, who downed 30 1/2 hot dogs and buns to come in second at Nathan’s Famous in 2003. Before Krachie, Keiner and Booker, there was Peter Washburn, a Brooklyn carnival worker, who held the world-record in the 1960s with a personal best of 18-1/2 hot dogs and buns.

A very special year for the contest was 1993, which marked the return of the coveted Mustard-Yellow International Belt to American soil. In November of 1993, in a one-on-one contest, Nathan’s champ Mike Devito beat Japanese eating phenom Orio Ito to bring back the belt, which had been in Japan for seven years. By winning this contest, Devito reunified the world hot dog eating titles (an accomplishment similar to Mike Tyson’s reunification of the world’s boxing titles in 1987).

The bejeweled Coveted Mustard Yellow International Belt, worn only by the International Champion, is to hot dog aficionados what Faberge Eggs were to Czar Nicholas. The belt is of unknown age and value, and is unveiled only at the annual contest. The belt is now in Japan, where it stands in a secure display case in Saitama near the Nakazato Danchi campus.

The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest is sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), the governing body of stomach-centric sport worldwide. The Nathan’s Famous International Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Championship has been held each year on July 4 since 1916, according to archives .The 2006 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating circuit includes Tokyo, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, East Hartford, San Francisco, Norfolk, Bloomington and other cities.

Hot Dog Royalty weiner’s his way into 1st place once again! – by New Yorkled – 2003 Results

The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest which has gone on yearly since 1916 in New York’s Coney Island on the July 4 holiday ended this year with Takeru Kobayashi (of Nagano, Japan) making his 3rd win in a row. Although the 44 1/2 hot dogs this 25 year old man managed to gulf down is quite a feat, it was a huge disappointment to him since it didn’t beat his last record of 51 1/2 hot dogs eaten last year in 2002.

Ed “Cookie” Jarvis of Long Island broke the American record, taking second place with 30 and a half hot dogs. Eric “Badlands” Booker won third place, eating 29 hot dogs.

Unfortunately, William “The Refrigerator” Perry dropped out of the race after 5 minutes having eaten a mere 4 weiners. It’s quite interesting how the Fridge outweighs the champ by almost 300 pounds. ‘but you’ve gotta love the man for trying! ‘heck, I’ve run out this week and purchased a few dozen hot dogs and buns for the sake of seeing if I’ve got what it takes to take on any of these fellas.
Errrrr, bad, bad, very bad idea! Short of emptying out my stomach’s contents after several minutes of gorging, I decided that maybe noodles or pasta might be my thing. I’m quite the noodle man myself! It’s my fave food of choice on every one of my visits to Chinatown. ‘and hey, a pound of pasta or noodles is much much cheaper than a dozen hot dogs and buns, aye?

Regardless, let’s see if Takeru has what it takes to make it to another year of this international event. Methinks, maybe not. ‘But congrats Takeru for a job well done nonetheless.

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