The Wienermobile is Back!

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was back in Fargo-Moorhead last week for the first time in years. The Wienermobile traveled to and was open in Fargo, Casselton and Moorhead on Oct. 27, 30, 31 and Nov. 1. They hosted story times, costume contests, pumpkin carving designs and gave out “Wienermobilia.”

Hotdoggers get to travel around and put smiles on people’s faces by letting them experience the joy of the Wienermobile. This is done by hotdoggers being present at community events, hosting hotdog-themed storytime for children at Fargo’s North Port Library and the Casselton Library, offering visitors rides in the Wienermobile and engaging in events with special hotdogs and bake sales.

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was designed in 1936 by Carl Mayer, Oscar Mayer’s nephew. It's been redesigned 11 times (12 if you account for 2008’s “mini” model), making it wider, taller and more capable of serving as the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Today, the vehicle stands at 11 feet tall, 27 feet long, 8 feet wide and weighs 14,050 pounds. Alternatively, the dimensions can be measured as 24 hot dogs high, 60 hot dogs long and 18 hot dogs wide, weighing about 140,500 hot dogs.

Sitting on a fiberglass bun, with a smiling front grill and a golden stripe across the hot dog, the Wienermobile does its best to look as friendly as can be. The hot dog look doesn’t stop at the exterior; the inside of the Wienermobile is decorated with ketchup and mustard pillows and features custom hot dog embroidery on every seat. The Wienermobile also has a sky-blue ceiling, a removable bun roof and an Oscar Mayer jingle horn.

There are currently six Wienermobiles traveling across the United States, with two hotdoggers accompanying every Wienermobile. They travel around the year to a new city every week and spread joy to everyone around. The only time the hotdoggers take breaks is on holidays and their two free days each week.

I had the opportunity to interview the two hotdoggers who brought the Wienermobile back to Fargo. Maile Carballo and Lindsey Links are part of the lucky few who were given the opportunity to drive the Wienermobile throughout this year. They started their journey this past June in Madison, Wisconsin and have traveled to Missouri, Pennsylvania and now North Dakota, stopping in many places along the way.

The “hotdogger” title doesn’t just come with the ability to drive the Wienermobile and 24-7 access to the wiener jingle horn; Maile and Lindsey have had the opportunity to meet many new and interesting people every day, become immersed in many different cultures and see the excited faces of people awed by the Wienermobile for the first time.

Maile and Lindsey’s Wienermobile will travel around the United States until June next year, when they hand off the title of hotdogger to their successors. Right now, no one knows when the Wienermobile will be in town next; for all we know, it could be next year or 2030. Whenever the Wienermobile returns, I’m sure it’ll be playing the official Oscar Mayer jingle as it is greeted by an ecstatic crowd.