Glizzy Fest 2023 – A Get Down for Dogs

It’s a good time to be a hot dog enthusiast in Columbus.

On October 21st, the second Glizzy Fest will take over the 1200 block in Uptown Columbus for a celebration of hot dogs and dogs. Ross Horner, a beloved figure in Uptown and the owner of Frank’s Alley, is looking forward to a bigger festival this year.

“It’s fun and dumb,” said Horner, never one to beat around the bun. “We had so many people come last year. I was kind of surprised, but you know, you’ve never seen anyone sad eating a hot dog,”
Josh Houghton, of Columbus Georgia Eats says, “Hot dogs are timeless. They’re quick, they’re tasty, and there’s more than enough business for everyone. This is a celebration of an iconic American food and a chance to come together to have a good time.”

According to Houghton, “Columbus has a growing hot dog scene. Plus you’re seeing a lot of the hot dog vendors here expand beyond the simple dog and chili. It’s pretty cool to see all these new and exciting takes on such a classic food.”

Fellow hot dog joints Jordan’s Girls Gourmet Dawgs, Cook’s Place Hot Dogs, The Hot Dog Factory, Dinglewood Pharmacy, and Southern Roots/Milkshake Momma will stand alongside Frank’s Alley at Glizzy Fest. “We need to collaborate and the people who are coming together with us understand that we need to gather,” Horner says. “We just need people eating more hot dogs.”

That’s not to say that there won’t be any competition at Glizzy Fest. “We have competitions, but they’re all dumb,” Horner declares. From the Glizzy Chef competition to the Weiner Dog Races, the order of the day is delicious meets hilarious.

According to Horner, the goal this year is to just make Glizzy Fest bigger. “We’re just feeding off each other. Everyone brings something to the table and hopefully it catches people’s attention,” he says. The number of sponsors, vendors, and activities has grown in a big way this year, with Sons Chevrolet as the head sponsor. The festival kicks off at noon on October 21st with delicious offerings from local hot dog joints, as well as the Big Dog Glizzy 5K, Westerlunds Adopt-a-Dog, the Exodus Escape Challenge, market vending, and a kids area provided by Chattahoochee Adventure Co. As the day progresses, festival goers will enjoy weiner dog races and a dog costume parade, Glizzy Chef Tables, Creative South’s Glizzy Ink Wars, and music from DJ Cashflow and Mutiny by Monday on the Chris Breault Not At Fault Stage.

Glizzy Fest will also feature local businesses whose wares are not hot dog centric. While not on-site at the festival, if you’ve got the itch for a tattoo, you can take care of it with a great deal on some new ink from Lucky Spider Tattoo. They’re celebrating Glizzy Fest with a Glizzy Flash Sale all Glizzy Week.

One of the newest kids on the 1200 block, Blue Canary Records, is looking forward to everyone showing up and showing out for the festival. According to owner Brian Cook, “Ross has put a lot of himself into Frank’s and the event. He works really hard to develop engagement with the community.”

Blue Canary will be hosting a mystery game at Glizzy Fest. “All I will tell you right now is that this game will be the perfect marriage of hot dogs and records,” Cook says. The record shop is also helping out by coordinating bands for the event. Local bands that want and need to be seen will be out front on the sidewalk.

While Glizzy Fest is most definitely an opportunity to come together to eat more hot dogs, its goal is also to shine a light on the needs of our local animal shelters. “Last year, we became more aware of the challenges for the animal shelters. Our mission is to help the dogs at Paws Humane Society, Animal Control, PCS Dog Help, and Animal SOS,” Horner says. “We have a goal to have at least ten dogs adopted at Glizzy Fest.”

The festival’s focus on dog adoptions is both timely and needed, as some local shelters are struggling to maintain their no-kill statuses. Josh McQuien, Director of Marketing & Development at Paws Humane Society, says, “Our partnership with Frank’s Alley, the driving force behind Glizzy Fest, serves as an essential pillar fortifying the health and overall well-being of the animals at Paws Humane Society. Beyond its role in bringing awareness to our mission, this collaboration enables us to bring numerous dogs into the heart of our community, facilitating their adoption, and offering a much-needed respite from the confines of shelter life.”

But that mission depends on people coming out and supporting the festival – and Horner described his hopes for this year’s event.

“I want people to eat more hot dogs,” he said. “I want to see Rangers out there next to Austin from Maltitude in the kids area, playing these dumb, fun games. I want people to know Ralph Frank and come paint hot dogs on his van. The chefs will be here. People will get to see these artists create. I want our community to gather. There’s a gorgeous diversity here and we need more of that.

“Plus you can come celebrate the Dawgs on their only bye week by eating more hot dogs,” Horner laughs.
Josh Houghton sums up his excitement about Glizzy Fest this way: “At the end of the day, I love food. People love food. It brings people together. And that’s what Glizzy Fest is. It’s a really cool event that people will enjoy. So many vendors are coming together not only to celebrate hot dogs but also to build community and to find forever homes for dogs.”

So come on out to the 1200 block on October 21st to stuff your face for a good cause. With an excellent line-up of hot dog vendors, local businesses and activities for all ages, along with a chance to help animals in need, Glizzy Fest is going to be a tasty day for everyone.

To check out the full lineup for the day visit their social media pages @franksglizzyfest on Instagram and Frank’s GlizzyFest event page on Facebook, and we’ll see ya at the fest.

By Jules Warner