Anyone who was looking forward to eating unlimited Hot Doug's sausages next weekend is bound to be a little disappointed this morning, as organizers of the Dog Dayz of Summer festival announced that this year's event has been canceled. This would have been the sausage-themed festival's second year at the Goose Island Barrel House, where attendees were promised plenty of encased meats, rare beer tappings and live music.
The event's organizers did not explicitly reveal what caused the abrupt cancellation, just one week before the first session was scheduled to occur, but a statement provided by Geoff Miller of Criterion Productions suggests that low ticket sales were to blame. After thanking the event's media and operational partners as well as "a small but enthusiastic core group of patrons," Miller goes on say that "no matter how much we want it to, this particular event has not been able to reach the goals necessary to sustain its continuation." Miller also assures anyone who bought tickets to the now-canceled event that refunds will be issued "as promptly as possible."
Since closing the Hot Doug's restaurant in 2014 (a move that resulted in some of the location's longest lines), Doug Sohn has never really let go of the hallowed Chicago sausage brand. Over the last few years, Hot Doug's sausages have been served at several pop-up events, a Hot Doug's-themed pizza has joined the menu at Piece in Wicker Park and a a Hot Doug's stand has opened inside Wrigley Field. It may take a bit of patience and effort (or the purchase of some bleacher seats at a Cubs game), but the food that made Hot Doug's famous is still attainable in Chicago (and sometimes Arizona) which makes an event like Dog Dayz of Summer a bit less special—or at least not worth the somewhat steep $75 ticket price.
Thankfully, fans of sausage-themed festivals still have some options, including the upcoming Elston Avenue Sausage and Music Fest on June 25 and 26 or the annual SausageFest Chicago on July 23 and 24. Hot Doug's devotees can also still find much of the restaurant's menu (including duck fat fries) being served at Hot 'G' Dog in Uptown. Alternatively, you can plan your own hot dog day this summer by visiting some of Chicago's best hot dog stands.
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