National Corndog Day is celebrated every year on the first Saturday of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament which is better known as March Madness.

The holiday traces its roots to 1992 in Corvallis, Oregon, where friends Brady Sahnow and Henry Otley were watching March Madness when hunger struck. They pulled some corndogs from the freezer, cooked them up, and a tradition was born. As the years went on, the celebration grew to include tater tots and beer, and slowly spread from their living room to other cities across the country.

By 2008 the holiday had grown to nearly 5,000 parties across five continents, including one at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. In 2012, the State of Oregon cemented its place in the holiday’s history with an official proclamation recognizing National Corndog Day. Today the event is backed by sponsors including Foster Farms, PBR, and Jones Soda, and is organized by a board of city captains hosting parties across the country.

Did You Know?

4 Things You Didn’t Know
About Corn Dogs

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The original patent already had a stick

In 1927, Buffalo businessman Stanley S. Jenkins filed a U.S. patent — officially titled “Combined Dipping, Cooking, and Article Holding Apparatus” — for a machine that cooked wieners impaled on sticks and dipped in batter. The patent was granted in 1929, but there’s no evidence Jenkins ever sold a single corn dog.

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Who put the dog on a stick is highly contested

At least three establishments claim to have invented the modern portable corn dog: Pronto Pup in Oregon (1941), Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs at the Texas State Fair (1942), and Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield, Illinois (1946). All three are still around — and none plans to concede.

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They go by many names around the world

In Australia they’re known as Dagwood Dogs, Pluto Pups, or Dippy Dogs. In Canada the dominant brand gave its name to the whole category: they’re simply called Pogos. And in Argentina, a similar battered sausage on a stick goes by Panchuker.

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Korea took the corn dog somewhere else entirely

South Korea’s street food scene reimagined the corn dog with a chewy yeasted batter instead of cornmeal. The most popular variation — the Gamja Hotdog — is encrusted with cubed french fries before frying, then finished with a dusting of sugar. The playful name “Kogo” is a portmanteau of Korea and the Canadian brand Pogo.

How People Celebrate National Corndog Day

Celebrate National Corndog Day by enjoying this iconic snack alone or in a company. Here are some ideas:

Make homemade corndogs: Try making your own corndogs at home. Experiment with toppings, batter recipes, or unique fillings like cheese or veggie dogs.

Host a basketball viewing party: Pair March Madness games with a corn dog buffet featuring sauces and sides. Create a festive atmosphere by serving themed drinks and snacks.
Try regional twists: Explore how corndogs vary across the U.S., such as the Korean-style corn dog coated in sugar or filled with mozzarella.
Share the celebration online: Post pictures or recipes of your corndog creations using hashtags like #NationalCornDogDay or #CornDogLove.

Every March