For the Oatman Sidewalk Egg Fry, he had five days to learn how to rig a solar oven from scratch and produce a sunny side up egg that was edible. Grilled cheese sandwiches cooked with a clothes iron. Mr. ECK: Sure. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious, always shareable. Politics; World; Health; Religion; Society; Social; Series "It needs all the publicity it can get to stay alive.". TODAY, WE ALL should be in Oatman (south of Kingman, pop. Registration begins at 11:00am. It is so intriguing that the city of Oatman, Arizona, hosts an annual Solar Egg Frying Contest on the 4th of July. Copyright 2006 NPR. The mines' closings meant that tourism would be the primary source of revenue for the few residents that remained. “It was especially enjoyable seeing the kids, they really seemed to have fun.. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Your email address will not be published. She's got a good competitor here. Do not block the walk way to the Candy Shoppe. I'm Michele Norris. We all know that Arizona gets hot in the summertime - really, really hot. Right next to her we have two guys and they got their eggs in an aluminum pie pan and it looks like a mirror and a CD. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. "The place is only a quarter mile long. Description Event Details Sidewalk Egg Come up to Oatman for the 32nd Annual 4th of July Oatman Egg Fry! NORRIS: That's Fred Eck, the founder of the annual Solar Egg Frying Contest in Oatman, Arizona, on old Route 66. People thought it was bad publicity for the area because it drew attention to the heat, said Eck. We'd love to hear eyewitness Fred Eck, founder of the yearly Solar Egg Frying Contest in Oatman, Ariz., tells about the results of the contest. Heat Index Map, La Crosse Heat Preparedness. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Copyright 2006 NPR. Mr. ECK: They're looking at the fact that the egg is going to be fried the most. New videos posted daily!To see behind-the-scenes \u0026 more, follow us on Instagram @buzzfeedvideo http://bit.ly/2JRRkKULove BuzzFeed? Oatman heat draws people, contraptions for sidewalk fried egg challenge, 2225 W. Acoma Blvd.,Lake Havasu City,AZ, Stay Informed. 'There are probably still knee prints down there,' Murphy said. Threats of harming another And on Labor Day there's a parade and Burro Biscuit Toss, where the furthest toss of a hardened “biscuit from a burro wins. We're all bored. This is quite a device and she won it two years in a row. Oatman, AZ - An egg frying contest is certainly a strange way to spend this Fourth of July, but hosting one on the city's sidewalks is even weirder, if you ask us. The eggs have a bit of help while they cook, and they dry out faster. Mr. FRED ECK (Solar Egg Frying Contest, Oatman, Arizona): Okay, the rules of the game is - can you hear this? Keep it Clean. The event, which attracts 200-300 to the town, which has just 35 shops and a couple of bars and restaurants, began in 1991 during a heatwave and made headlines. 20 Best Places to Visit near Delhi from 50km to 500km, Places You Can Enjoy In Economic Budget In India, 55 Best Honeymoon Places in India that Every Romantic Couple Must Visit. The Oatman Egg Fry each July Fourth challenges anyone and everyone to fry an egg without direct heat, using the sun and any extra equipment a contestant may wish to use to increase the sun's power. You can use a frying pan, crack the egg right on the paved street or drop it directly onto the sandy ground. Mr. ECK: Oh the eggs get tossed into the egg bucket, exactly all together. Hundreds flock to the city to watch contestants sizzle their eggs to perfection using everything from magnifying glasses to homemade contraptions. There's 35 shops, a couple of bars, a few restaurants," said Eck. One contest regular brings in an oversized magnifying glass laid horizontally on rollers. Every July 4, the town of Oatman, Arizona, sponsors a solar egg frying contest, though Oatman's rules are relaxed they don't require sidewalks, and they allow mirrors and magnifying glasses. Share with Us. New York, New York. Partly cloudy. accounts, the history behind an article. How hot? John Aguirre brought his whole family from Los Angeles to visit the old mining town. Because theres no burner beneath the street to quickly crank up the heat, the surface temperature wont recover quickly like it would in a pan on your stove. Mr. ECK: Here we have third place. Using The Power Of Local To Keep The Poulsbo Community Prosper. An annual event, contestants can participate in groups or singly, originality is encouraged. There are also Old West gun fights, wild burros roaming the streets, food, entertainment and more. We have a defending champion here, two years in a row, she's here getting ready to put hers together and challengers all the way up and down the street. This is the 16th annual Invitational Sidewalk Egg Fry on old Route 66 in Oatman, Arizona, where the temperature is roughly about 105 degrees, no wind and beautiful blue sky, and we're just about ready to get started. HIGH NOON ON THE SIDEWALKS OF OATMAN, ARIZONA. Don't knowingly lie about anyone At Poulsbo restaurants We Are Dedicated To Connecting The Poulsbo Community Members To The Best Restaurant Deals And Offers In Poulsbo. 135), a burg on Route 66 best known for its mining history, daily gunfight re-enactments and wild burros that roam the streets. Everything from a solar oven to a magnifying glass to reading glasses. It's hot. , updated After letting the eggs set for 15 minutes, the person whose egg has cooked the most is . At first competitors were requied to cook their eggs straight on the sidewalk, but the eggs just got stuck, Jackie Murphy, vice president of the Oatman Chamber of Commerce, told NBC. Noon. Yolks need a bit more heat, firming up at temperatures between 149 and 158 degrees. It is so intriguing that the city of Oatman, Arizona, hosts an annual Solar Egg Frying Contest on the 4th of July. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2021 Oatman Chamber of Commerce. As far as the rule is concerned, they are relatively simple. Feb. 7 2014, Updated 12:10 a.m. What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained. In other words if that egg is not only, the whites are white and the yolk is cooked, it's ready to go. The mines closed in the early 1920s, re-opened in the mid 1990s before closing again for good in 1998. Locals have been providing this entertainment for over 20 years. July 7, 2022. Science Meets Art: Stunning Satellite Imagery Reveals Massive Asian Dust Storm, The World May Be on the Verge of Very Significant Warming. Yolks need a bit more heat, firming up at temperatures between 149 and 158 degrees. It turns out that eggs also have a bit of an advantage in Arizona, the land of low humidity and high heat. NORRIS: And what happens to all those eggs? State Rep. Nancy McLain, R-Bullhead City, was chief judge of this year's Sidewalk Egg Fry contest. Want to give it a go? Mr. ECK:. What Happens When You Get Struck By Lightning? Eck says the media coverage and buzz on the event helps attract visitors year-round to Oatman (pop. We're going to have a gunshot into the air, which is a double-barrel shotgun, blanks of course, and when he does that, we'll be under way and I'll let you know what's happening. The eggs need to get to 158 degrees to fry and, despite the phrase, sidewalks are poor conductors of heat, rarely topping 145 degrees even in extreme conditions. But once weve moved to the street, or the hood of a car, and added refinements like skillets, weve strayed from the initial challenge: frying an egg on the sidewalk. The sidewalk presents several challenges to this. A former gold mining town in the Black Mountains. Some have had luck frying an egg in the street on a 115-degree Arizona day using a cast-iron skillet preheating the skillet in a car can help. $25/ hr, $35/1 hr, $60/2 hr. Robert Wolke explains in his book, What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained, there is another challenge of street egg-cookery. I've got a show to do, so I'm going to let you go for just a minute and we promise to check back on you in just a bit. Reporters in Phoenix, Ariz. the temperature of the asphalt on the citys streets during the 2018 heat wave and got readings of a sizzling 161 degrees Fahrenheit. Note: Only solar heat may be used to fry the eggs, and there is a 15 minute time limit. Liquids evaporate rapidly when humidity is low. Oatman is having a little bit of fun with this summer's dismally hot temperatures by hosting a sidewalk egg frying contest, a tradition held . The notion of frying an egg on the sidewalk is so popular that theres a National Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk Day on July 4. NORRIS: Fred Eck is the founder of the Solar Egg Frying Contest. It'll put Oatman on the map.. Budget planning for next fiscal year is kicking into high gear for the Lake Havasu. The Oatman Moonshine Run Scavenger Hunt/Poker Run. along old Route 66. If youre determined to give this a try, asphalt is a better bet. All rights reserved. On this, of course, everybody's a winner. While we are talking about rules, there are only 3: Cook your egg only with the power of the sun. Independence Day celebrations include a contest where participants attempt to cook an egg on the sidewalk with the aid of solar devices known as the Oatman Egg Fry Along with the rest of Arizona's US 66 towns, Oatman is fiercely proud of its Route 66 heritage and replicas of 66's black-on-white US highway shield are posted all over the town. CALL 928-577-9139 FOR MORE INFORMATION. "Too bad you can't come down," said Jackie Rowland, who is chamber . Others recommend using metal pans and doing the cooking on the hood of a car, rather than the street. This is the 16th annual Invitational Sidewalk Egg Fry on old Route 66 in Oatman, Arizona, where the temperature is roughly about 105 degrees, no wind and beautiful blue sky, and we're just. person will not be tolerated. While Blumer was in Oatman for his show, others came for something different to do for the Fourth of July. Oh no, the second place winner was the defending champion and she got second place and her team name was Team to Beat. 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'People thought it was bad publicity for the area because it drew attention to the heat,' said Eck. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Still, the idea of cooking an egg on a sidewalk wont die. Okay, everybody not in the cook-off here, please get out of this area, please. Some have had luck frying an egg in the street on a 115-degree Arizona day using a. Do you want to hear the winners? While Lake Havasu City may have set a new record with temperatures in excess of 120 degrees for July Fourth, the Mohave County community of Oatman set its own record with unofficial temperatures near 113 degrees for the 17th annual Oatman Sidewalk Egg Fry. Mr. ECK: That's right, okay. Egg frying contest is held July 4th at high noon on the downtown streets of Oatman, AZ. Accuracy and availability may vary. Five, four, three, two, one, go. “I've never seen anything like this (Sidewalk Egg Fry) before.. The expression, its so hot you can fry an egg on the sidewalk seems intended as hyperbole, but some people take it as a challenge or maybe theyre just trying to expand their culinary skills. Then the event packs up by 1 p.m. "If we dont, everybody would pass out, said Fred Eck, 69, a retired special events coordinator who has organized the fry since its beginning. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. David Bell/News-Herald Photos Bob Blumer, host of the new Food Network Show, Glutton for Punishment checks the status of his egg during the 17th annual Oatman July Fourth Sidewalk Egg Fry Wednesday. She just missed it. Oatman is a small village, an unincorporated community in western Mohave County, on Route 66, northwestern Arizona. Oatman judges, however, do allow some aids, such as mirrors, aluminum reflectors, or magnifying glasses, which would help to focus the heat onto the egg . The sidewalks enclosing this 150-person town get fairly hot during this time when approximately 20 contestants prove their mettle to fry egg in 15 minutes or less in front of 1,500 spectators, and use anything from aluminum foil to magnifying glasses to homegrown solar device to create "the most edible egg." Low 57F. . PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. We had eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast. (Credit: Andrew Joseph Folts/Shutterstock), Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news, Want More? "Heating and eating: physical gastronomy. Contestants are tasked with frying the most "edible looking" egg using only solar energy as a heat source. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Horseback rides. So who has the watch? NORRIS: Fred Eck is the founder of the Solar Egg Frying Contest. Meanwhile if, like most sensible people, you think that when the street temperature reaches 160 degrees, its better to just stay inside, you might want to try your hand at, Mississippi Tornado Scoured the Land so Violently it Left a Scar That's Visible From Space. Squeeze lemon wedges over top, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with cheese . MANY OTHER "HOT" EVENTS & OLD FASHIONED FUN! Mr. ECK: Thank you very, very much and you have a great Fourth of July and we'll talk to you soon. One year we had, let's see. Fred, when we spoke a few minutes ago, contestants had cracked their eggs into their solar contraptions and it sounded like the defending champion had a bit of competition. Don't Threaten. Thats probably not doable unless the street temperature gets a lot higher. Switzerland's Glacier Express train just got even more spectacular. The concept started in 1983 as a competition between the nearby communities of Laughlin, Nev., and Bullhead City, Ariz., during another local heat wave that made national headlines. She's the winner. Faro Caudill frying eggs over camp fire the day he was moving his dugout. In addition to the July Fourth Sidewalk Egg Fry, there are the Bed Races down the center of town each January. Mr. ECK: Oh yeah. Eight years later, Eck resurrected the event in Oatman. 135) for the annual Fourth of July Sidewalk Egg Frying Contest. Okay. So if you're about ready, we're going to give the go ahead. Crystal Jackson, right, checks the temperature of Blumer's solar contraption and found he had a cooking temperature of 231 degrees. A scorching Arizona town is putting the old saying 'hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk' to the test. Every July 4, the town of Oatman, Arizona, sponsors a solar egg frying contest, though Oatmans rules are relaxed they dont require sidewalks, and they allow mirrors and magnifying glasses. NORRIS: Now Fred, listen. The Sidewalk Egg Fry originally started in 1983 as a challenge issued by Blythe, Calif. to all the communities along the Colorado River, to see which community was really the hottest. Some overachievers go so far as to prepare bacon and fries too! Mary? We're going to check back in now on a Fourth of July tradition in Oatman, Arizona. Divide between two bowls; top with eggs, peppers, and watercress. 'Re about ready, we all should be in Oatman, Arizona fact that the Egg bucket, exactly together. Wedges over top, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with cheese, updated 12:10 a.m. What Einstein Told his:. 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