Oscar Mayer Wienermobile turns the weekly Town Center Farmers Market into a hot dog of a Labor Day celebration
EL DORADO HILLS — It was a picture-perfect Sunday morning at Town Center, where the familiar rhythm of the weekly farmers market setting up played out with the aroma of fresh produce, baked , and more filling the plaza. But this was no ordinary market day. Rolling in and standing tall among the booths and buzzing activity was something very different — a 27-foot Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, its bright yellow and orange dog shaped body was hard to miss.
The arrival of the giant hot dog on wheels instantly transformed the farmers market into a true Labor Day celebration, a holiday known for the grilling of the famous tube steak. Families clustered around for photos, children giggled as they clutched free Wiener Whistles that were being given out, and the sound of Eddie Otero’s live music mingled with laughter and conversation.
For parents, it was a chance to step back into childhood memories and share them with the next generation. David Sprigg was one of the many who heard about the Wienermobile’s visit and brought his 9-year-old son Austin to Town Center to see it.
“It’s fun to share this kind of nostalgia with my son — I can still hear the old Oscar Mayer jingle in my head,” Sprigg said with a smile. For Austin, the moment was simpler: “It’s neat, it’s the biggest hot dog I have ever seen,” he said, staring up at the vehicle with wide eyes.
Later in the morning the sound of Eddie Otero’s live music added to the scene. Additionally, C. Knights Steakhouse was scheduled to dish out their famed hot dogs for the occasion.
For El Dorado Hills, the stop was more than a quirky novelty. It was a piece of Americana rolling right into the heart of the community — a whimsical, larger-than-life symbol that turned a familiar Sunday tradition into something residents won’t soon forget.
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has been bringing smiles across the United States for nearly 90 years. Its story begins in 1936, when Carl Mayer, nephew of Oscar Mayer, commissioned the first “wiener car” in Chicago. That original 13-foot-long, open-cockpit version weighed 2,000 pounds, cost $5,000 to build, and made its debut on Oct. 16–17, 1936, in Janesville, Wisconsin, only one day after it was completed in Chicago. Early appearances featured the “World’s Smallest Chef,” a performer billed as just 42 inches tall and 45 pounds. In those first years, the vehicle wasn’t even called the Wienermobile. Promotional materials used names like the “Wiener Truck,” the “Oscar Meyer Truck,” the “German Wiener Sound Car,” the “World’s Largest Wiener Car,” and the “Giant Wiener Sound Truck.” The “Wienermobile” name itself didn’t appear until 1951, when postwar redesigns began touring the country.
During World War II, the very first Wienermobile was scrapped for metal to aid the U.S. Army effort. But the idea quickly returned. In the 1950s, Oscar Mayer partnered with the Gerstenslager Company to build new versions on Dodge and Willys Jeep chassis. One of those 1952 models still survives and is displayed at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. The role of “Little Oscar” also became central to promotions during this era. Played most famously by George Molchan, Little Oscar accompanied the Wienermobile to stores, parades, hospitals, and schools, helping children associate the vehicle with joy and whimsy.
In 1958, noted industrial designer Brooks Stevens gave the Wienermobile its first major style overhaul, using molded fiberglass to create a sleeker, more modern “wiener in a bun.” In 1969, the vehicle was built on a Chevrolet motor-home chassis with distinctive Ford Thunderbird taillights, marking the first Wienermobile to travel outside the United States. A 1976 model introduced fiberglass-and-styrofoam construction, again on a Chevy motor-home frame. By 1988, the company expanded to a fleet of several Wienermobiles built on converted Chevrolet van chassis. By 1995, each of these vehicles had logged more than 250,000 miles on the road. That same year, the Wienermobile grew again — stretched to 27 feet long and 11 feet tall, with large parallelogram windows that opened for ventilation.
Later updates brought even more fun. In 2004, upgrades included a voice-activated GPS, a wireless PA system, an audio center, and a horn that could play the Oscar Mayer jingle in 21 different musical genres, from Cajun to rap to bossa nova. The design even incorporated Pontiac Firebird taillights for flair. Mechanical challenges came with these updates, as certain Isuzu chassis versions proved too light to handle the immense weight of the fiberglass wiener, resulting in suspension problems and repeated rebuilds. Despite those hiccups, the Wienermobile remained a beloved sight on American roads.
Oscar Mayer has even experimented with spinoffs. In 2017, the company introduced the WienerCycle, a hot-dog-themed motorcycle; the off-road-capable WienerRover; and the airborne WienerDrone. These additions only added to the legend of the original fleet, which still includes several Wienermobiles traveling the highways of America today. The Wienermobile has also ventured into pop culture contests. In 2004, Oscar Mayer offered fans the chance to “Win the Wienermobile for a Day,” generating more than 15,000 entries in a single month. Winners received the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride in and host the iconic vehicle at their own events.
In May 2023, the company announced it was renaming the fleet the “Frankmobile” to promote its new all-beef franks. The change sparked debate, but by September of that year, after an outpouring of nostalgia from fans, the company reverted to the classic Wienermobile name. Most recently, several Wienermobiles gathered at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2025 for the inaugural “Wienie 500” exhibition race on Carb Day, ahead of the Indianapolis 500. A vehicle affectionately named “Slaw Dog” won the lighthearted two-lap dash, proving the Wienermobile could still steal the show nearly a century after its invention.
While the Wienermobile’s history spans decades and countless miles, its purpose remains the same: to spread smiles. On Sunday in El Dorado Hills, that mission was fulfilled as children posed with Wiener Whistles in hand, shoppers stopped mid-market to take selfies with the 27-foot hot dog, and families created memories tied to a vehicle that has outlived generations of advertising campaigns. For locals, it was a reminder that the Wienermobile is more than a quirky marketing gimmick — it is a traveling piece of Americana that continues to bring people together. And for the Town Center Farmers Market, it was a Labor Day weekend visit that will be remembered long after the music stopped and the market booths were packed away.
For those reading this Sunday morning, there’s still time to check out the Wienermobile! The Town Center Farmers Market continues to 1 p.m. The market takes place every Sunday from 9 to 1 offering produce, baked goods, local vendors, and occasional surprises — though few are as iconic as the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
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