![\"Haddonfield\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/nuejndb85ff18cw1.jpg\")
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HADDONFIELD. N.J. – Families packed downtown Haddonfield on Friday, July 3, for the borough\u2019s annual Fourth of July parade, where a record-setting hot dog eating contest took center stage despite scorching temperatures, according to organizers.<\/p>\n
Scorching temperatures and a record hot dog performance <\/p>\n
What we know:<\/p>\n
The temperature reached 96 degrees as parade-goers gathered along Kings Highway, with many seeking shade and bringing water, fans and snacks to stay cool.<\/p>\n
Twelve competitors faced off outside Kings Road Brewing Company in the annual hot dog eating contest, which has become one of the parade\u2019s biggest draws.<\/p>\n
Kings Road Brewing Company owner Bob Hochgertel said, “Coney Island, move over. Haddonfield has its own eating contest.”<\/p>\n
Vito Ruggiero, who traveled from outside Scranton, Pennsylvania, set a new Haddonfield record by eating 18 hot dogs in 10 minutes.<\/p>\n
When asked about competing in the heat, Ruggiero said, “I\u2019m sweating a little bit, that\u2019s it. My stomach is full, but it wasn\u2019t too bad. I\u2019ll be inside the air conditioning now and hopefully cool off.”<\/p>\n
Parade-goers, including families and pets, searched for ways to beat the heat, with some stepping inside businesses for relief before returning to the parade route.<\/p>\n
The annual hot dog eating contest has become a signature attraction during Haddonfield\u2019s Fourth of July celebration, Hochgertel said.<\/p>\n
Community turnout and local traditions <\/p>\n
Organizers said the crowd appeared lighter than in previous years because of the extreme temperatures, but many still came out to celebrate Independence Day.<\/p>\n
Hochgertel said, “I\u2019ve been in town now for 30 years, and my first Fourth of July here I was surprised how many people show up for the parade. A lot of people go away to the beach, but they all come back. They all come back to the parade.”<\/p>\n
Haddonfield resident Jess Renaud described the day as, “Lots of water, lots of fans, lots of hydration, lots of snacks, lots of complaining. So far, so good.”<\/p>\n
The parade remains a longstanding tradition for the community, drawing residents and visitors each year.<\/p>\n
What we don’t know:<\/p>\n
It is not clear if any safety measures were added due to the heat or if any participants required medical attention during the parade or contest.<\/p>\n
The Source: Information from interviews with parade organizers, Kings Road Brewing Company and attendees.<\/p>\n
America 250<\/a>New Jersey<\/a>Severe Weather<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HADDONFIELD. N.J. – Families packed downtown Haddonfield on Friday, July 3, for the borough\u2019s annual Fourth of July…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":235070,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[4000,139,1962,69,71,70,1522,593,1133],"class_list":["post-235069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-america-250","tag-news","tag-nj","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-severe-weather","tag-us","tag-weather"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235069\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}