July 4 is celebrated differently across the US - from state to state, from community to community.
In Coney Island thousands gather to watch people competitively gorge themselves on stacks of hotdogs.
Those competing in Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest will have just 10 minutes to eat as many weiners as they can for a shot at the top prize.
The somewhat strange event has gained almost mythic status and millions are expected to tune in to watch it on the sports channel ESPN.
Here's everything you need to know about the competition.
Where is it held?
The competitors gather at Nathan’s Famous flagship restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island on the edge of south Brooklyn in New York City.
The pre-contest party starts at 10am Eastern Time and includes various performances such as music and dancing.
Women and men are separated for the competition itself with the women's event kicking off at 11am. The men's will be held afterwards at 12.30pm.
The event is sanctioned by the Professional League of Eating Contests.
How do you win?
Competitors need to be 18 or older to enter and must have 'qualified' at one of the four qualifying events held at Nathan's in May/ June.
The top man and woman finishers in those events were invited to the July 4 'battle royale'.
Each contestant will have a scorekeeper keeping a close eye on them.
Water and other drinks are allowed along with condiments. Penalties can be issued for "messy eating and regurgitation,” reports WABC.
What do you win?
It's not just glory that the winners take home but also a top prize of $10,000.
Second place gets $5,000, third $2,500, fourth $1,500 and fifth $1,000.
Each champion will also get the much-coveted Mustard Belt.
How to watch
Although thousands will head down to watch the event, millions are expected to tune in on their TV.
ESPN is exclusively broadcasting the event, with coverage starting at 10.45 am ET.
Major League Eating (MLE) sponsors the entire event, and all eaters - or athletes - must be registered with them to participate.
New aspiring eaters can take part in preliminary contests before the main event or when scheduled by MLE - so don’t worry, there’s always a chance you could one day try and eat as many hotdogs as Joey Chestnut, Miki Sodu, or Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi.
Who’s going to win the 2023 Hot Dog eating contest?
Every year, someone get’s that mustard-encrusted belt, and this year the betting favourites are returning champions Joey Chestnut for the men, and Miki Sodu for the women’s event.
Joey Chestnut has won almost every year since 2007 - except for that time in 2015 when one-time champion Matt Stonie, another competitive eater that streams on YouTube.
For the women’s side, Miki Sudo has won pretty much every year since 2014, except for 2021, when Sudo took the summer off while she was pregnant - that year the one-time winner was Michelle Lesco. Last year in 2022, Sudo came right back and it’ll be hard to steal this title from her.
