Welcome to the Genuine, Deluxe
Original Corndog Festival
For a number of years (1998 - at least 2005 )this was the official website for the annual The Corndog Festival.
Content is from the site's 2003 -2005 archived pages.
Enjoy the nostalgic look back!
FYI: The corn dog’s birthplace may be disputed among gastronomists, but there is no denying that the corny dog, as the fried delicacy is known in these here parts, made its first appearance at the State Fair of Texas.
Welcome to the Genuine, Deluxe Original Corndog Festival.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!!
Sure, everybody that comes to The Festival knows it's a great time. No question about it. But there are still a few people that haven't attended the festivities. So it's nice to see the Festival getting publicity. And it's garnering more and more notice all the time.
The Corndog Festival has gotten so much positive response from the press, both here and abroad, that we decided to create a new section of the site to blow our own trumpet. Well, that's sorta what the entire site is about, but here we include what others have said and thought of our efforts.
Also included here is a list of previous sponsors, and a list of some of our judges and other credits for those who have helped make The Festival such a great success. Thanks to everybody who has attended and those who have helped contribute to all the fun and success!!!
Corndogs. Yeah, don't play dumb, you know what I'm talkin' about.
We all love 'em. We all admire 'em. Yeah, we could all do without 'em, but why? They mean so much to us, and ask so little.
Sure, it's a love/hate relation. I've seen kids crying to their mamas in the grocery store for 'em. I've seen dames carrying 'em around in their purses at fancy boutiques. I've even seen guys polishing 'em like a nice chrome revolver. Well, maybe not that last one.... But I tell ya, everything you do, everywhere you go, has all been influenced by corndogs in some way or another. You don't believe me? Why should you? Well, if you put your finger on the button ahead, I'll show you all the evidence I've collected to support my latest case. You'll see. You'll enjoy.
Some people say, "The Corndog Festival? Hey, it's just another party." But is it? I've seen things that'll make you think different about it all. I did my part. Now you be the judge....
-- Frank Batter
Corndog Detective
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Less than a week to go!!
The 11th Annual Corndog Festival is this Saturday
October 1, 2005
at The Lakewood Theater and Historic District, in the beautiful downtown of Lakewood, Dallas, Texas.
Tickets are on sale now thru Ticketmaster
or directly thru the Corndog Festival PayPal account.
Also available at the door the night of the CornBall.
The Eleventh Annual celebration will kick off at 3:00 in the afternoon with a free street festival in the Lakewood Shopping Center. Activities include several bands and "The Tot Spot," a corndog styling clinic & games booth which will keep the younger fans busy decorating corndogs, competing for the Junior Styling Competition. Lakewood area merchants will have sidewalk sales, and other vendors will have booths set up for more variety. And don't dare miss the Doggie Style Pet Parade, with the Master of Ceremonies: Rawlins Gilliland (NPR commentator and former National Endowment for the Humanities Poet-in-Residence)!!! You can enter your pooch in the parade, and a veritable dachshund, er, wiener dog, stampede will be the feature attraction of the afternoon event!
It'll be bigger and better than ever! The event will include fabulous food, a street festival, a parade, entertainment and of course the world famous Corndog Styling Contest.
The fun continues into the evening with the Cornball at the Lakewood Theater (doors open at 8:00 pm). Artistic expression explodes with the Corndog Styling Contest judged by celebrity judges, including hair & fashion stylist Tony Fielding, Dallas City Councilwoman Angela Hunt, Ft.Worth Modern Art Museum Executive Chef Dena Peterson, home furnishings gallery owner and art connoisseur George Cameron Nash, and others. Past wieners include Le Corndaug Blue Academie, Vincent Van Dough, and The Texas Corndog Massacre, just to name a few. The night will also include a Corndog Boutique (complete with the latest haute dog couture), a silent auction, fabulous food from various vendors, music, dancing, and the Styling Contest Awards Ceremony.
More fun than you can shake a stick at!
We are pleased to announce a partial list of this year's sponsors and participants including:
Carrabba's Italian Grill
Cantina Laredo
Fusion Restarant
Greenville Avenue B&G
Wienerschnitzel
Tucker Restarant
Super Suppers
DJ Deluxe
Arm Hole
Body of Sun
Dallas Darkroom
Skipping Stone Studio
and we will be announcing others soon.
So tell all your friends and family! It's a full day of great events in the Lakewood district, and another superb, stupendous night out on the town and a perfect excuse to put on your State Fair formal attire and celebrate the glorious existence of our favorite things in life, the humble, golden brown triumph known as the corndog.
Wahooo!
The grand attraction to the annual Corndog Festival is, without a doubt, the glorious Corndog Styling Competition. Every year there are many incredible entries, with our panel of judges doing their very best to commend the outstanding entrants with fabulous prizes.
All those who enter are eligible to win. And of course you can have as many entries as you can think of – there is no limit, and there is no fee to enter! Often, the judges award the prizes to the idea behind the entry, not just the quality of the final execution. So the contest is open to everybody to win!
We know you will enjoy taking a few minutes to look at the ingenuity and creativity on display from these contest entries from the past several years.
2005 Styling Competition
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The latest and Greatest Corndog Styling Competition Winners!
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Thanks to everybody that came to this year's Corndog Festival and Cornival. It was a lot of fun.
We now have photos of the Festival for everybody to see.
Check out the newest Styling and Scene photos!
Here are just a few pictures from the Cornival and Parades
Revved up and ready to Parade!
The King and Queen of the Weiner Dogs
A few photos from the CornBall
Don't forget that throughout the year you can still get the goodies that commemorate this very special Festival. Several styles of shirts, drink coolers, posters, earrings, jackets, and more.
2004
What can be said about the 2004 Corndog Festival except:
WOW!!!!!!
It was an incredible evening. There were over 500 people having a great time at the Lakewood Theater, our largest turnout so far. Over 50 outstanding entries for the Corndog Styling Contest, great music from Robin Bank$ Band, dancing, laughing, and an absolutely great time had by everybody. A true evening of delicious Corn Ball fun!
Be sure to catch the segment produced by Al Roker On The Road on the Food Channel. It airs January 8 at 6:30 (Central Time)
We want to thank each and every corndog lover who joined us in the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Festival. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!! (times 1000)
We also want to thank our contributors.
There were tons of corn dogs and hot dogs from our friends at Wienerschnitzel. And there was also great food from Carrabba's Italian Grill, The Alligator Cafe, Katz's Deli, Dallas Affaires Cakes, and Summer Snow Snowcones.
We have some great shots of the 2004 Styling Competition entries and also pictures of the CornBall in The Scene. We will post many more photos as soon as we can, so stay tuned to your only source for Genuine, Deluxe Original Corndog Festival updates.
2003
The 2003 Corndog Festival was another big success. Lots of people came and had a swell time eating corndogs, dancing to the Corny Tones, and seeing the decorated corndogs! There were some incredible entries to the world famous Corndog Styling Competition again this year. It seems each year the entries get better and better.
We will post the photos as soon as we can. Please check this website again in a few days.
Also, just to let you in on the secret, we are already working on plans for next year's Festival. We can't divulge any details yet, since there aren't any firm details to tell. But as you know, dear corndog fans, 2004 will be the 10th annual Corndog Festival! That's right, Ten Big Years. So, naturally, it will be a VERY SPECIAL EVENT.
I suggest everybody bookmark this, your favorite and only meaningful website, and tune in often for updates regarding the 2004 Festival. The date may change slightly, so watch here for info. And this time I promise to totally renew the entire site. Really. So if you have any photos from WAY back, send me an email to tell me what you have.
Congratulations, wise guy. You made it to the good stuff. The big, golden, batter-dipped heart of this website. There ain't nothing better.
That's right: Dig in and see photos of winners and entries to the Styling Contest. We've arranged it by year to make it easy on you, since you must be tired after seeing all the other content in this place. So just click the year you want to view and enjoy!
This year we are pleased to bring back The Corny Tones! Be sure to see them belt out some great roadhouse blues on Ozona's outdoor patio.
The Corny Tones making a point about the superiority of corndogs over plain old hot dogs....
PRESS
FARE Section
Aug/Sept 2004, page 20
Lakewood ADVOCATE
Sept 2004, page 51
TEXAS HIGHWAYS
Sept 2004, page 15
More Background On CornDogFestival.com
From 1998 through the mid-2000s, CornDogFestival.com served as the online home of one of Dallas’s most eccentric and beloved community celebrations — the Genuine, Deluxe Original Corndog Festival. This whimsical event, held annually in the Lakewood District of Dallas, Texas, combined Texas-sized humor, local pride, and a deep love for that golden, batter-fried culinary icon: the corndog.
The festival’s website was more than just an event page. It was an exuberant reflection of the festival’s playful personality, celebrating corndogs as both art and inspiration. From the Corndog Styling Contest to the Doggie Style Pet Parade, the event became a regional cultural touchstone that celebrated creativity, eccentricity, and community spirit in equal measure.
This article explores the origins, highlights, and enduring charm of the Corndog Festival, using both historical material from CornDogFestival.com and additional context about Dallas’s cultural landscape at the time.
Origins and Concept: From Street Food to Cultural Phenomenon
The corndog holds a special place in Texas culinary history. Although its exact birthplace is debated, the State Fair of Texas claims the honor of introducing the “corny dog” to fairgoers decades ago. The Corndog Festival took this humble snack and elevated it into a symbol of communal creativity and humor.
The first Corndog Festival was organized in 1995, inspired by the fairground favorite and Dallas’s reputation for embracing offbeat fun. By the time CornDogFestival.com launched in the late 1990s, the festival had become a fixture in the Lakewood Theater and Historic District, attracting locals, media personalities, and creative professionals who saw in it a chance to combine art, food, and laughter.
What set the festival apart was its tone — part satire, part sincerity. It celebrated corndogs not just as food but as folk art, encouraging participants to decorate, style, and reinvent them in the most imaginative ways possible.
The Festival’s Home: Lakewood District and Theater
The festival’s enduring home, The Lakewood Theater, is one of Dallas’s most iconic venues. Built in the 1930s and renowned for its art-deco architecture, Lakewood became a hub for creative gatherings, concerts, and film screenings.
By hosting the Corndog Festival, Lakewood reinforced its reputation as a cultural landmark — a place where tradition met irreverence. The surrounding Lakewood Shopping Center and Historic District provided the perfect backdrop for the festival’s mix of parades, street fairs, and live performances.
Attendees recall streets filled with food vendors, local musicians, and costumed participants, while nearby restaurants and boutiques joined in with special corndog-themed menus and sidewalk displays.
Signature Events: From the CornBall to the Doggie Style Parade
The Free Street Festival
The day’s festivities began with a free street festival at the Lakewood Shopping Center, featuring local bands, vendors, and a special children’s area called “The Tot Spot”, where young attendees could decorate corndogs or compete in the Junior Styling Competition.
The Doggie Style Pet Parade
Among the festival’s most beloved events was the Doggie Style Pet Parade, emceed by Rawlins Gilliland, the witty NPR commentator and former National Endowment for the Humanities Poet-in-Residence. The parade brought together dozens of costumed dogs and their equally creative owners — a canine pageant of humor and style that became the festival’s visual hallmark.
The Corndog Styling Contest
The crown jewel of the festival was the Corndog Styling Competition — a spirited contest where participants designed and presented corndogs as if they were miniature art installations. Categories ranged from “Best Dressed” and “Most Humorous” to “Celebrity Look-Alike” and “Best Hair.”
The entries were astonishing in their inventiveness. Past winners included:
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“Korntrina” by Judy Moxley (Best of Show)
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“Cornypatra” by Rachel Jones (Best Dressed)
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“Dog the Bounty Hunter” by Stephanie Hoffman and Mahesh Brown (Best Reality Dog)
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“Napoleon Doggymite” by Han Cao and Susan Hutchison (Most Humorous)
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“Louis Vuitton Knock-Off” by Pamela Wood (Celebrity Look-Alike)
Each entry was judged not only on craftsmanship but on conceptual wit — often rewarding the idea behind the piece as much as the execution itself.
The CornBall Gala
As the sun set, the celebration moved indoors for the CornBall, the festival’s glamorous nighttime gala at the Lakewood Theater. Guests donned their “State Fair formal attire,” enjoyed live music, and browsed the Corndog Boutique, which offered exclusive festival merchandise — from shirts and posters to earrings and jackets.
The evening’s highlights included:
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A silent auction
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Live music and dancing
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Food from Dallas restaurants like Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Cantina Laredo, and The Alligator Café
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The Corndog Styling Contest Awards Ceremony, where winners were crowned amid laughter and applause.
Celebrity Judges and Sponsors
Over the years, the festival attracted an eclectic mix of celebrity judges and sponsors from across Dallas’s cultural and culinary scenes.
Judges included:
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Tony Fielding, renowned hair and fashion stylist
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Angela Hunt, Dallas City Councilwoman
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Dena Peterson, Executive Chef at the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum
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George Cameron Nash, home furnishings gallery owner and art connoisseur
Sponsors read like a who’s who of local business and dining establishments:
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Carrabba’s Italian Grill
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Wienerschnitzel
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Greenville Avenue Bar & Grill
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Fusion Restaurant
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Super Suppers
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Dallas Darkroom
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Body of Sun
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Skipping Stone Studio
These partnerships highlighted the festival’s blend of grassroots enthusiasm and professional polish, helping to turn what started as a neighborhood event into a regional media spectacle.
Press Coverage and Publicity
The Corndog Festival’s growing popularity earned it national attention. In January 2005, Al Roker’s “On The Road” segment on the Food Network featured the event, bringing its cheerful absurdity to a broader audience.
Local and regional publications also covered the festivities, including:
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Texas Highways (September 2004)
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Lakewood Advocate (September 2004)
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FARE Magazine (August/September 2004)
Coverage celebrated the event’s mix of humor and community spirit, often describing it as a quintessentially Dallas phenomenon — unpretentious, creative, and self-aware.
The Corndog Festival Experience: Food, Fun, and Folklore
Festivalgoers came not only for corndogs but for the atmosphere — a day-long immersion in lighthearted nostalgia.
The streets of Lakewood filled with the smell of fried batter and mustard, while bands like The Corny Tones played roadhouse blues on patios and street corners. Local artisans displayed corndog-inspired crafts, and photo booths captured attendees in themed costumes.
There was something deliberately absurdist about the entire spectacle — a celebration of kitsch elevated to high art. As one organizer quipped on the site:
“They mean so much to us, and ask so little.”
The corndog, humble yet iconic, became a lens through which Dallas expressed its creativity and communal joy.
Memorable Moments and Highlights (1998–2005)
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1998–2002: The festival grew steadily in attendance, becoming a local tradition.
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2003: Attendance surged, and The Corny Tones headlined with their signature corndog blues set.
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2004 (10th Anniversary): A record turnout of over 500 attendees, 50 styling contest entries, and coverage on the Food Network.
The organizers called it “our largest and happiest festival ever.” -
2005 (11th Annual): Featured an expanded street fair and new styling categories, including “Twisted” and “Special Victim’s Award.” The event’s tone had become both self-referential and hilariously theatrical — the very definition of Dallas humor.
Festival Merchandise and Memorabilia
CornDogFestival.com offered a range of memorabilia that reflected the quirky aesthetic of the event — shirts, posters, jackets, earrings, and drink coolers.
These items became collectors’ pieces among fans of local Dallas history, embodying the early-2000s DIY festival culture where websites, street posters, and word-of-mouth fueled excitement long before the social media era.
Even years after the event concluded, vintage Corndog Festival merchandise occasionally appears on eBay and Dallas memorabilia forums, treasured as reminders of a truly one-of-a-kind community celebration.
Cultural and Social Significance
While the Corndog Festival may seem like a humorous curiosity, it holds real cultural weight.
It represented a grassroots celebration of creativity, one that blurred the lines between performance art, culinary tradition, and civic pride. It attracted families, artists, food lovers, and even academics interested in Americana and folk culture.
The festival’s inclusive humor — poking fun at itself while embracing everyone — made it a Dallas hallmark. It fit perfectly into the city’s identity as a place where high culture and pop culture coexist comfortably, from opera houses to rodeos.
Moreover, the Corndog Festival anticipated the rise of “food-based art festivals” that would become popular nationwide in the following decade — from bacon fests to grilled cheese competitions. Dallas did it first, and did it with style.
Legacy and Online Preservation
Although the Corndog Festival appears to have ended after 2005, its website — CornDogFestival.com — remains preserved in archival form. It serves as a snapshot of early 2000s internet culture: playful, self-designed, and filled with local personality.
The site’s archived pages are brimming with enthusiasm — tongue-in-cheek commentary, vivid photography, and lovingly detailed event descriptions. Phrases like “Wahooo!” and “More fun than you can shake a stick at!” capture the spirit of a time when community events relied on passion rather than algorithms to build audiences.
The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine now houses these digital remnants, allowing new generations to rediscover the humor and heart that fueled one of Dallas’s most delightful traditions.
Reflections from the “Corndog Detective”
The site’s fictional mascot, Frank Batter — The Corndog Detective, gave the festival an additional layer of theatrical charm. His tongue-in-cheek “investigations” into the cultural meaning of corndogs added a narrative thread to the event’s marketing, parodying detective noir tropes with fried-food puns.
This playful approach underscored the festival’s meta-awareness — it wasn’t just celebrating corndogs, it was celebrating how we celebrate things.
More Than a Festival
The Genuine, Deluxe Original Corndog Festival may have concluded its run, but its legacy lives on as a testament to Dallas’s enduring sense of humor and community pride.
It transformed a simple fairground snack into a canvas for creativity, a stage for community expression, and a symbol of joy that transcended culinary boundaries.
For anyone lucky enough to have attended, it wasn’t just an event — it was an experience that captured the essence of local culture: a celebration of life, laughter, and the little things that bring people together.