Hot dog eating contest, Top Cake Baker, and Classic Car Cruise drew people out into the rain to Topton on Saturday.
The Topton Centennial Committee hosted its annual ‘Top Dog’ Festival, Community Street Fair and Classic Car Cruise on Home Avenue and Smith Street in downtown Topton.
“We’re really surprised. Despite the weather, it’s still a nice turnout,” said Topton Centennial Committee member Jonathan Quier, of Ludwig Funeral Home. He was wearing a hot dog hat, recruiting for the hot dog eating contest. “There’s a lot of vendors and a lot of cars came out and a lot of people to patronize this wonderful street fair.”
The all-day event, held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., featured vendors, food, DJ music, face painting, celebrity dunk tank, hot dog eating contest and car cruise, to name a few highlights.
This was the 11th year of the Street Fair and Car Cruise and the second year with the theme of the ‘Top Dog’ Festival. Mike Wagaman of Topton walked up and down Home Avenue, wearing a hot dog costume. He was recruiting for the hot dog eating contest and later joined in the competition.
A crowd gathered around the hot dog eating contest table, which was lined with contestants eager to down as many hot dogs as possible to win the trophy. Judges carefully watched each contestant while hot dog after hot dog disappeared. As the final seconds were counted down, the crowd cheered and shouted.
Army PFC Brendan Morgan of Reading, stationed in Kutztown, won second place for eating five and a half hot dogs and Dennis Hassler, Macungie, won first place, eating six hot dogs.
When asked how he felt about winning the hot dog eating contest, he said, “Full.”
Hassler plans to put his trophy on the mantel in his basement. “It’ll be pretty cool,” he said with a smile.
He entered the contest because he said, “It seemed like something fun at the time. It was fun but my stomach’s not feeling so good right now.”
One of the highlights of the event was seeing muscle cars and classic cars cruise down Home Avenue, through the middle of the street fair with the vendors and attendees on either side of the road.
Another highlight was the Top Cake Baker contest. Attendees purchased a taste of the cakes and voted for their favorite. There were three cakes made by Emily Higdon, Joan Gouldner and Abigail Fox.
Higdon won with the most votes for her chocolate cake with strawberry frosting. Prize was a custom embroidered apron.
“Proceeds from this event will support the efforts of the Centennial Committee to beautify Topton and promote a positive community environment,” according to the event release. “”The Topton Centennial Committee is a local group of community volunteers from within the Topton Borough and surrounding areas. The committee’s focus is to keep Topton beautiful and to encourage and support a positive community.”
For more about the Topton Centennial Committee and local community events visit www.facebook.com/toptoncentennialcommittee.
