Takeru Kobayashi, international celebrity world-record holding competitive eater will end his 2-year hiatus from competitive hot dog-eating contests when he appears in Mission Viejo on Sept. 5. According to a press release, he will take part in the 3rd Annual West Coast Hot Dog-Eating Championship hosted by The Derby Deli & Dueling Piano Bar at Kaleidoscope.
Then on Sept. 11, Louis Zamperini, a WWII prisoner of war survivor and the subject of a New York Times best seller, will sign books at El Cholo’s Cafe Maiz.
The two “legendary” people are part of a string of well-known personalities who will appear in Mission Viejo this fall.
During the Sept. 5 hot dog-eating contest, Kobayashi will attempt to break his own world record of eating 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes when he takes on two-time West Coast Hot Dog-Eating defending champion Thomas “Goose” Gilbert of Las Vegas. Kobayashi is the current world-record holder in hot dog eating. He also has four Guinness Book of World Records including hot dogs, meatballs, hamburgers, and pasta. The competition kicks off at 6 p.m. and contestants will compete for a prize purse totaling $10,000. First place takes home $5,000. The Derby is at 27741 Crown Valley Parkway.
El Cholo’s Cafe Maiz will host the special Sept. 11 book signing from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27567 Puerta Real. “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand focuses on the life of Zamperini, an inspirational speaker and former Olympic distance runner.
Both events are free to the public. Along with the appearances of Kobayashi and Zamperini in September, the fall season will bring actresses/authors Linda Evans and Molly Shannon to Mission Viejo for the Readers’ Festival on Oct. 1 along with several other well-known authors and illustrators. The City’s event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Oso Viejo Park and the Norman. P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way. For more information, visit www.cityofmissionviejo.org/readersfestival.
I’m so excited to get to meet Mr. Zamperini and to listen to him speak. Will he be signing books that are purchased there that night or copies that we bring with us? I’ve been to both types of book signings in the past.