Three new events added to Fourth of July schedule

The festivities scheduled during the 2013 Fourth of July celebration will feature three new events – with all of them being food-related.

First up, on Sunday, June 30, a pie-eating contest will be one of the attractions of the Welcome Home Picnic, which will be held from 5-9 p.m. at Shoemaker Park and is being sponsored by Wells Fargo, the Wrangell Cooperative Association, Bobs’ IGA and City Market.

Two more events, one new and one returning for the first time since the 1960s, will be featured on July 4 at the sidewalk near the Totem Bar and Liquor Store.

For those that like to eat – and those hoping to win a $100 cash prize – a hot dog eating contest will take place immediately after the Chuck Oliver Logging Show, beginning at 7 p.m.

The event is sponsored by Greg Knight and the Totem Bar and, according to Knight, will be judged like major competitions held across the nation.

“We’re modeling it after bigger competitions like Nathan’s in New York City every year,” Knight said. “Basically, we can have up to ten competitors eating as many dogs and buns as possible. They will be able to dowse them in water if they like, which is a technique used by many eating champions.”

There is no registration fee for the contest and the Totem Bar will host the event, providing the $100 grand prize, as well as other prizes for participants. A maximum of ten participants can compete, with the person eating the most dogs and buns in ten minutes walking away as the champion.

The world record for dogs consumed at the Nathan’s competition is 68 and was set by California’s Joey Chesnutt in 2009.

Another event added to this year’s schedule will be the Egg Roulette, chaired by John Waddington and sponsored by his business, Mow Town.

The competition also has a cash prize of $50 for one lucky participant who is willing to take a chance on needing a shower afterward.

“Egg Roulette is a safe version of Russian Roulette,” Waddington said. “Each contestant will get half a dozen eggs. Five of them will be hard-boiled and one will be raw. You take two people facing each other and, taking turns, each person will grab one egg at a time and smash it on their head.”

According to Waddington, whoever is left at the end won’t need the shower and will be a little bit richer.

“Whoever comes up with the raw egg is out,” he said. “It’s a single elimination event and will go down to one survivor who will win fifty bucks.”

For more information on taking part in any of the events, call the Chamber office at

874-3901.