Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Touring Hartford County This Week

HARTFORD COUNTY, CT — The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is touring Hartford County this week.

The Weinermobile is a 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels that is part tour bus, part billboard and easily the company's most vivid marketing tool. The team of Chili Cheese Caroline (Caroline Frankenfeld) and Nickaroni & Cheese (Nick Ruybalid) are the "Hotdoggers" making the trip. They will be in the Greater Hartford area until Aug. 2.

"We are really looking forward to these events and the chance to "meat" (yes, she spelled it out) so many great people in the community," Frankenfeld said.

Here is the schedule:

• July 29 — Farmers Market on Broad Street (539 Broad St., Hartford) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• July 31 — The Children's Museum (950 Trout Brook Drive, West Hartford) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Aug. 1 — Cruisin' on Main, Downtown Manchester (Main Street, Manchester) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Frankenfeld signed up for a year as a Hot Dogger after getting a degree in Spanish and public relations at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a Texas native. Ruyablid, a Colorado native, has an English degree from Princeton. They are the official East Coast team for Oscar Mayer.

"It is a great opportunity to tour part of the country, meet up with people and put smiles on their faces," Frankenfeld said. We're touching lives of people 8 to 80 and so far, it's been great."

The East Coast Team actually began at the company hub in Wisconsin and a diploma from Hot Dog High. From there, Frankenfeld and Ruybalid visited Indianapolis, Cleveland, several spots in New Jersey, New York City, Providence, Delaware and now Hartford County in Connecticut.

On Friday, the team was taking a rest in Rocky Hill, getting the Wienermobile serviced (and counting up the many Weinermobile whistles Frankenfeld and Ruybalid are bound to give away) before heading to the three local stops.

In 1873, Oscar F. Mayer moved to the U.S. from Bavaria at 14 years old and started working in Detroit as a butcher boy. Shortly after, he moved to Chicago and began working in the retail industry. In 1883, the first Oscar Meyer shop opened. Sales on the first day totaled at $59 with pork cuts going for about 8 to 12 cents a pound.

During the Great Depression, the first Wienermobile hit the road to visit events like parades, grocery store openings and hospitals.

In 1986, after nine years off the road, the Wienermobile was brought back out for a 50th birthday celebration. After an enthusiastic reception, a decision was made to build a new fleet and start touring again. In 1988, six new fiberglass traveling hot dogs began driving around the U.S., fully equipped with microwave ovens, refrigerators, cell phones, and stereo systems that played 21 different versions of the iconic Oscar Mayer Jingle.

Here is a look at the history of the giant hot dog on wheels:

Frankenfeld sums up her job on her instagram account (@om_chilicheesecaroline):

"Currently driving a 27-foot long hot dog across the USA," it reads.

There is arguably no more adventurous job for two recent college grads. Ruybalid can be followed at @om_nickaroniandcheese.

"We have a lot of fun," Frankenfeld said. "It's been a great experience."