Wiener Whistles For All This Weekend

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Hotdogger Brian Keefe.

​If you're in need of a Wiener Whistle (aren't we all?), this weekend is your chance to get one. The iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will be making a pit stop in St. Louis for two appearances: Friday, September 9, at the Wal-Mart in Fenton, and Saturday, September 10, at the Valley Park Library. The Valley Park visit is a special one; the municipality won a contest Oscar Mayer held for the 75th anniversary of the Wienermobile.

"The main thing we always do is a goodwill mission," Hotdogger Brian Keefe says. "That's where we bring smiles, and we're trying to promote good deeds with other people."

Originally from Binghamton, New York, Keefe is excited about his visit to St. Louis, and he's anticipating going to a Cardinals game and the Gateway Arch.

Before crisscrossing the country in a 27-foot hot dog, the Hotdoggers receive a two-week training session in Madison, Wisconsin, called Hot Dog High. New Hotdoggers go through extensive training on the Oscar Mayer brand, driving the iconic vehicle, media relations and team-building exercises.

Keefe and his Hotdogger-in-crime, Danica Schmidt, have been on the road together since June, which has given them plenty of practice driving the Wienermobile.

"Actually driving the Wienermobile isn't that bad," says Keefe. "We got so much training over it that it becomes like your own vehicle. It's really enjoyable because you see everyone smiling and waving at you and taking photos."

Hotdogger alum John Dobson had wanted to drive the Wienermobile ever since he saw it on campus at the University of Missouri-Columbia his sophomore year. Overall, Dobson said his experience with Oscar Mayer was great and encouraged anyone with a sense of travel and adventure to apply.

"The reception everywhere I went was extremely positive," he says. "How can you not smile when you see a 27-foot hot dog drive down the street?"

To grab your Weiner Whistle this weekend, catch the Weinermobile on Friday from 12 to 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter (653 Gravois Bluffs Boulevard, Fenton; 636-349-3116) and on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Valley Park Library (320 Benton Street #B, Valley Park; 636-225-5608).