![\"Competitive](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/joey-chestnut-kena-betancur-getty-images.webp.jpeg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJoey Chestnut, competitive eater\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJoey Chestnut, competitive eater\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Kena Betancur\/Getty<\/p>\n
One hundred and eighty-two chicken wings in 30 minutes. 141 hard-boiled eggs in 8 minutes. Nearly 14 pounds of pork ribs in 12 minutes. And of course, most famously, a world record of 76 Nathan\u2019s Famous Hot Dogs in 10 minutes, on the Fourth of July in 2021. You know exactly who we\u2019re talking about, and he\u2019s on his way to Dallas this fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Take some of the best and worst of America, let\u2019s say our knack for mythologizing entertainers mixed with gross consumerism and, well, literally gross things, compress it into one figure, and you\u2019d get Joey Chestnut<\/a>. Anytime you think society has moved past circus freaks, turn on the TV on July Fourth<\/a> and you\u2019ll realize that we\u2019ve never changed, but our contemporary bearded ladies are just dunking hot dogs in water and gulping them down.\u00a0<\/p>\n But what can you say? What draws a crowd deserves a crowd, and surely crowds will be flocking to Lewisville this weekend, where Chestnut will compete in the Padrino Foods World Tamale Eating Championship.<\/p>\n The competition is part of the annual Western Days<\/a> festival on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26 and 27, and will feature live music, food, and vendors.<\/p>\n Chestnut will be competing against at least nine other eaters in the tamale championship<\/strong>, where he\u2019s already taken home the top prize in 2020 and three years in a row from 2012-14. Chestnut notably does not hold the world record for tamale eating, which was set at 95 in 2019 by Geoffrey Esper, who went on to win again in 2021, 2023 and 2024. It\u2019s anyone\u2019s game this year, though, as Esper won\u2019t be competing, but past champions like Adrian \u201cThe Rabbit\u201d Morgan will be.\u00a0<\/p>\n All the Tamales at Western Days<\/p>\n The World Tamale Eating Championship <\/strong>will take place on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. in front of Lewisville City Hall. Admission to the event is free. If you\u2019re hanging around, parts of the festival will become ticketed for just $15, beginning at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n Big Tex at the State Fair<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t make Western Days, North Texas will still have one more chance to see Chestnut in the flesh. Ahead of the State Fair of Texas, Chestnut will be the halftime show for the Dallas Trinity FC and Club America Femenil <\/strong>match on Oct. 18 at the Cotton Bowl.<\/p>\n But instead of a competition against fellow competitive eaters, Chestnut will be eating State Fair food, and you have the chance to vote on what he tries. The options are between this year\u2019s annual Big Tex Choice Awards<\/a> winners. For Best Taste \u2013 Savory, the crab and mozzarella arancini. As for the Best Taste \u2013 Sipper, the Cookie Chaos milkshake, complete with cookie butter, Oreo cookies and a Biscoff rim. Finally, the winner of Best Taste \u2013 Sweet, the Chill and Thrill Delight, a cup of mixed fruit soaked in watermelon juice and topped with shaved mango sorbet.\u00a0<\/p>\n