Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

The annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, held on the Fourth of July, is not for the faint of heart. Hide your eyes or look on in horrified fascination as contestants gobble down as many hot dogs as they can (there are separate men’s and women’s competitions—last year’s winners were Joey Chestnut, who returned to reclaim the Mustard Belt, and 11-time winner Miki Sudo, respectively). This feat of endurance lasts just 10 minutes, but there are plenty of preshow festivities at the Coney Island venue.