Groharing said the roots of Hot Dog Day stretch back decades. While researching the event’s history, she found newspaper articles dating back to 1976, when it was known as Ballpark Days. The event originally featured 10-cent hot dogs, sidewalk sales, and local merchants working together to bring shoppers downtown. Over the years, it evolved into today’s Hot Dog Day, with Sterling Main Street taking on a larger leadership role after the organization was established in 2008.
Today, Hot Dog Day has become one of downtown Sterling’s signature events. Seven cooking locations will serve approximately 7,000 hot dogs during the three-hour event. Each location offers hot dogs, chips and bottled water for just 25 cents each, allowing families to enjoy an inexpensive lunch while exploring downtown.
Beyond the food, the event features sidewalk sales, children’s activities, local vendors, special promotions from downtown businesses and entertainment throughout the district. The Sterling Theatre plans a movie matinee, while the Sterling Chamber of Commerce will once again host a family fun fair at the Sterling Marketplace with games, inflatables and activities for children.
Many businesses also embrace the event by offering quarter-themed specials, giveaways and sidewalk promotions, creating a festive atmosphere throughout downtown.
Groharing said Hot Dog Day has grown steadily over the years, increasing from approximately 5,000 hot dogs served annually to between 6,500 and 7,500 in recent years. The biggest challenge now is keeping up with demand, as many cooking sites regularly sell out before the event ends.
Several cooking locations are returning this year, including the Sterling Police Department, Sterling Fire Department, County Market, Golden Key Gifts, Champs on Lake Street and AirPlay Espresso. Sterling Federal Bank joins the lineup as a new cooking site, while longtime participant Grummert’s is taking a year off.
Friendly competition has also developed between the Sterling Police Department and Sterling Fire Department after both organizations began serving hundreds of hot dogs during the event. This year, each department will prepare approximately 750 hot dogs as they compete to see who serves the most visitors before selling out.
Hot Dog Day also continues its tradition of offering commemorative T-shirts. This year’s theme, “Stars and Stripes and Hot Dogs,” celebrates America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Shirts are available for preorder through Sterling Main Street’s website sterlingmainstreet.org and Facebook page, with extended sizes available only through advance orders.
The festivities don’t end when lunch is over. The same evening, downtown Sterling will host another Rally on the Rock cruise night featuring classic vehicles, food trucks, and live music by GED at the Sterling Marketplace. The City of Sterling has also rescheduled its Movie in the Park for that evening, allowing families to spend the entire day enjoying free community activities downtown.
Hot Dog Day will be held Friday, Aug. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or until participating vendors sell out. Organizers encourage visitors to arrive early, especially if they have a favorite cooking location, as some sites have sold out as early as 12:30 p.m. in previous years.
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