Thousands honor hot-dog creator at festival in Niles

Thousands honor hot-dog creator at festival in Niles

By LINDA M. LINONIS

linonis@vindy.com

niles

Hot diggity dog! That was the sentiment shared by some 2,000 people who frankly had a good time at the Harry Stevens Hot Dog Day Festival Sunday.

The event downtown, a joint project of The Avenue and Main and Trumbull County Board of Tourism, honored Stevens, a Niles entrepreneur credited with cooking up the hot dog, the drinking straw, the scorecard and roasted peanuts. Stevens, who was born in 1855 in England, came to the United States in 1892 and his family settled in Niles. He worked in steel mills but later was an inventive businessman.

A big attraction at the event was the Wienermobile, a promotional vehicle for Kraft Foods’ Oscar Mayer. The “borntobun” vehicle is featured at fairs, festivals and special events and is part of a fleet.

“Sizzlin’ Stephen” Hays, a public relations and advertising graduate of the University of Missouri, and “Atta Dog Alex” Connett, a communications graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, are touring the Midwest. Some people brought their own cameras to take photos by the bright yellow and orange vehicle while others had Hays and Connett take photos, which would be emailed to them.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.