The 2025 West Virginia Hot Dog Festival takes place at Pullman Square in downtown Huntington on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Ricky Sawyers, at left, won the hot dog eating contest, shown here.
The 2025 West Virginia Hot Dog Festival takes place at Pullman Square in downtown Huntington on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Ricky Sawyers, at left, won the hot dog eating contest, shown here.
HUNTINGTON — The 2025 West Virginia Hot Dog Festival went off without a hitch Saturday, festival founder and Stewart's Hot Dogs owner John Mandt Jr. said.
"I personally went around to each vendor to welcome them to the festival and ask them how their days went and thank them for being there,"Â Mandt said. "All of them were very happy and thrilled with their sales and happy to be there."
Ricky Sawyers, an employee with Recovery Point in Huntington, won the Hot Dog Eating Contest after eating 19 hot dogs in 10 minutes. He received $100 as his prize. Alex Parlock won the Root Beer Chug contest and also received $100 as his prize.
Mandt Jr. said the event has raised almost $300,000 since the first festival in 2004. It is a fundraiser for the Hoops Family Children's Hospital in Huntington. The funds raised from this year's festival were not calculated as of press time Monday.
The 2025 West Virginia Hot Dog Festival takes place at Pullman Square in downtown Huntington on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Ricky Sawyers, at left, won the hot dog eating contest, shown here.
Ricky Sawyers, from Recovery Point, eats hot dogs while competing in the 2025 Hot Dog Eating Contest West Virginia Hot Dog Festival, in Huntington, on July 26, 2025. Sawyers won after eating 19 hot dogs in 10 minutes and received $100 as his prize.
Teddy Agee and his owner Jenny Agee pose with the trophy Teddy won for the Weiner Dog Race at the 2025 West Virginia Hot Dog Festival, in Huntington, on July 26, 2025.
Alex Parlock drinks root beer during the Root Beer Chug at the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival, in Huntington, on July 26, 2025. Parlock won the contest and received a $100 prize.
