The world’s top competitive eaters will have six minutes to put down as many cheese curds as they can stomach for a chance to win $4,000 during Wisconsin State Fair’s Cheese Curd Eating Championship next month.
To the average curd-loving Wisconsinite, winning such a contest may seem doable, but not when you’re up against world eating champion Joey Chestnut and his hunger for a world record in cheese curd eating. Chestnut currently holds the world record for eating hot dogs, with 73.5 in 10 minutes.
The Major League Eating-sanctioned event will take place at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11 at the fair’s Associated Bank Amphitheater. New York-based MLE puts on 80 professional eating competitions annually, but State Fair’s cheese curd championship event is the first of its kind.
“We are excited to announce the addition of the Cheese Curd Eating Championship as the newest can’t-miss event during this year’s State Fair,” said Kristi Chuckel, communications director of Wisconsin State Fair Park. “There is no better place to unite cheese lovers and competitive eaters.”
Other top-ranked participants will include Gideon Oji of Morrow, Ga., Darron Breeden of Orange, Va., Matthew Raible of Edwards, Ill., and Wisconsin’s own Andrew Kogutkiewicz of Racine.
Wisconsin State Fair, which will take place at State Fair Park in West Allis from Aug. 2 to Aug. 12, will also feature annual food competition The Sporkies. Eight dishes from area food vendors will be tasted and critiqued by a panel of local celebrity judges on Wednesday, Aug. 8.
