Why Somerset County came out to see a 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels

Nothing draws a crowd like a motorized hot dog on wheels.

On Wednesday, the famous Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and two Hotdoggers (drivers) visited the Giant Eagle supermarket at 1606 N. Center Ave. to interact with the Somerset County community and give them the opportunity to take photographs with the 27-foot-long traveling frankfurter.

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Wienermobile fans of all ages stopped by the supermarket 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to see the vehicle in person, take photos and meet Hotdoggers "Barbecue Bridget" Berens of Wisconsin and "Relishing Riley" Flanagan of Delaware.

The Hotdoggers greeted everyone who stopped by, encouraged them to play a dice game called Take Home the Bacon for a chance to win free Oscar Mayer bacon, offered to take customer's photographs with the Wienermobile and handed out free wiener whistles.

Boswell residents Dianne and Mary Kingera said they came to see the Wienermobile and get their photo taken with it.

"I told my daughter we have to take our picture with the Wienermobile," Dianne Kingera said.

'A vehicle for the people'

Berens and Flanagan started their one-year stint in June as Hotdoggers in the Northeast Region and "rolled" through Pittsburgh earlier in the week on their prearranged tour of Pennsylvania, Berens said.

"We get a lot of people. They're excited about it," she said when asked how people react to seeing the Wienermobile in person.

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Flanagan said some ask them to sign Wienermobile memorabilia, or they join in singing the Oscar Mayer wiener song with them.

"We get people of all ages. It's a vehicle for the people," Berens said.

While driving through western Pennsylvania, Flanagan said they stopped by her grandparents' house in Monroeville and take them for a ride in the Wienermobile.

"The double take is my favorite," she said, referring to the reaction drivers usually have when they realize there's a Wienermobile next to them at a traffic light.

Asked if driving a 27-foot hot dog down the road is a difficult task, both Berens and Flanagan shook their heads no.

"The hardest part is parking," Flanagan said.

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Upon leaving Somerset, the Hotdoggers were driving the Wienermobile to Scranton for its next appearance, Berens said.

There are six Wienermobiles that travel the country and make appearances. The Wienermobile's schedule of appearances is posted at the company's website. Oscar Mayer is part of the Kraft Heinz Corporation, headquartered in Chicago.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Why Somerset County came out to see a 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels