Whether you consider yourself a certified hot dog enthusiast or you just want to be able to say you were there, the highly anticipated hot dog festival is almost here.
The Glizzy Fest will be held at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek on Saturday, February 24, from 3 to 7 p.m. General admission is $5.
Jeremy Andrews is a co-organizer of the event, and he explains how an event like Glizzy Fest can bring joy and laughter to the community while benefiting local small businesses in big ways.
How did you come up with the idea to put on the Glizzy Fest?
Penetrator Events and Sprout BC have been partnering with the Kellogg Arena and the Small Business Development Team of BC since 2019. We have co-created food festivals such as Que the Creek, a barbecue festival, the Big Cheese Mac n Cheese Festival, Restaurant Week (with Breaking Bred Hospitality), Beer Week and BrewBus (with Freedom City), and FoodPrize (with BC Food Reimagined). These are great ways to showcase the diversity of food enterprises, from start-ups to brick-and-mortar, that we have in the region while also being a driver of regional tourism. GlizzyFest, a hot dog competition, also came from this group with some of the same goals in mind: small business promotion, attracting regional tourism to Battle Creek, and having a fun and silly time, which we all could use more of – particularly after the last few years.
There is a competition element to the festival – how will that be executed and what’s in it for the winner?
We will have judged categories for coney dogs and loaded dogs, and we will also have people choice voting from your phone. Winners in each category will have bragging rights and receive a plaque they can affix to their establishment walls. In addition, we have technical assistance awards of up to $1500 that will go to winners specifically for use through entrepreneurial support agencies like web designers, accountants, business coaches, etc.
An event like this has an element of humor – what do you think this adds to Glizzy Fest?
At Penetrator Events, we start everything with humor. We believe in the value of play and playfulness. We excel in irreverent behavior – we will have some glizzy games to prove it. Plus, the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile is coming. We will forever relish that moment.
What else can we expect from this event?
At every event we do, we ensure that we have live music, whether it’s multiple bands, a crowd-engaging DJ, or even karaoke. We want to create a culture that supports small businesses and the arts. We hope to sing it from the rooftops, and ensure everyone in the region knows that we have fun in Battle Creek and that there is a variety of activities happening all of the time.
What do you personally think makes a perfect hot dog?
Some say it’s the sodium to puréed parts ratio. But me, I’m a size hog. I like just the right size. And that snap when you pierce the skin with your chompers. Or toppings. Toppings are important. I’m a coney human. Gotta have lard in it though. Maybe suet. And some sort of organ meat.
What’s the most unique hot dog you’ve come across so far?
In the summer of 1996, I worked on a slow boat to China. It was grueling work but the pay was awesome. So I jump ship in Hong Kong and I make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a golf course over in the Himalayas. They had this hot dog cart. And I had a frankfurter in something that resembled a crusty baguette with Thai Chili sauce and, I jest not, crickets. Needless to say, that’s the most unique weiner I have ever had in these jowls.
Tickets for Glizzy Fest can be purchased in advance at Glizzyfest.com. More information about the festival and other similar events can be found at Facebook.com/PenetratorEvents.
