How a 65-foot ‘Hot Dog in the City’ relishes generations of NYC street food and vendors

Paul Outlaw and Jen Catron stand in front of their 65-foot “Hot Dog in the City” sculpture in Times Square.

Photo by Lauren Rapp

The world’s largest hot dog was unveiled in the heart of the Big Apple Tuesday.

Times Square was flooded more than usual with spectators watching a 65-foot-long mustard-adorned hot dog rise into the sky to shoot out confetti. Supported by Times Square Arts and the Street Vendor Project, the art installation Hot Dog in the City was co-created by conceptual artists Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw, known for their wild and outrageous sculptures.  

Catron said when they were thinking about finding the perfect symbol for an art piece in Times Square the duo kept returning to the idea of the hot dog: “It’s an icon of New York City, it’s an icon of Times Square, it’s really just an icon of America.” 

Only rats, pizza, and the Statue of Liberty (maybe a few others) rival the hot dog as a symbol of what makes New York, New York. Artist Paul Outlaw says the eccentric ode to the beloved street meat is more than just a giant hot dog. 

“As we started digging into the history of the hot dog, it really became evident that it’s not all positivity,” Outlaw said. “There’s a huge class story behind there. Lower class and the upper class. Corporate America versus working-class America.”

Outlaw went on to explain the deep history between the hot dog and the fabric of the city.

“There is obviously an immigrant story that is very much involved. Which is very much a part of America so it really began to form a really dynamic portrayal of what America is.” 

Attendees Julie Coleman and Anita Strollo came as a pair to witness the art installation in person. Despite being vegetarians, they were excited to get a glimpse of the animatronic structure.

Strollo began to laugh at the realization that her eyes were tearing up from thinking about the history of immigrant vendors selling hot dogs in…