World Peeps-Eating Contest Saturday at National Harbor

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Across the Potomac on Saturday, you might hear a mild roar from cult fans of Peeps, those bright-colored marshmallowy treats usually found in Easter baskets. The National Harbor World Peeps Eating Championship is set for Saturday from 12 noon to 4 p.m.

It will feature both amateur and professional Peeps-eating contests. The first 15 people to sign up at 11:45 a.m. Saturday will compete in the amateur contest.

Last weekend, #1 ranked competitive eater Matt Stonie set a world record, eating the most Peeps in one sitting. He'll be there Saturday.

Think you can do better? The first 15 people to sign up at 11:45 a.m. Saturday will compete in the amateur contest. The winner of the 2-minute amateur contest at 12:15 p.m. will then move on to the professional Peeps-eating contest.

Some of the nation's top "professional eaters" will compete at National Harbor Saturday to do their best to stuff their faces with as many of the spongy treats as possible. (We're not quite sure what the neon-colored sweets are made of -- the company says they're a mixture of marshmallow, sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and a few other "special ingredients.")

See the professional eaters here and read about their food feats.

The mega-chowdown will take place in front of a Peeps & Company store at National Harbor, on "Peeps Day," with the highlight event being the National Harbor World Peeps Eating Championship.

The professional eaters will begin their major munching starting at 1 p.m. on the waterfront at National Harbor (157 National Plaza, National Harbor, Md.).

World-ranked professional eaters from near and far will compete to set a world record for the number of Peeps consumed. The contest will last 5 minutes, and the winner will take home the glory, the trophy and $1,750.

Runners up will receive:
2) $800
3) $500
4) $300
5) $100
6) $50

“I am delighted to be part of this exciting competition,” said Sam Barclay with Major League Eating, the organization that tracks and ranks the eaters, in a news release about the event. “It is unusual for any eating contest to attract four of the top 10 eaters as this one has,” explained Barclay, who will also emcee the competition.

Unfortunately, we hear that Alexandria resident Sonya Thomas, aka the "Black Widow" who holds 39 world records in competitive eating, won't be participating, but here's a list of some of the top eaters who will be devouring the chicks and bunnies Saturday:

• Matt Stonie (ranked #1) from San Jose, Calif.
• Michelle Lesco (ranked #7) from Tucson, Ariz.
• Juliet Lee (ranked #8) from Germantown, Md.
• Geoffrey Esper (ranked #10) from Oxford, Mass.

Other "professional eaters" participating include Yasir Salem (ranked #11) from New York; Gideon Oji (ranked #12) from Nigeria; "Crazy Legs" Conti (ranked #21) from New York; and "Wild Bill" Myers (ranked #31) from Allentown, Penn.

Peeps Day will include a variety of activities along with contests and prizes, organizers said. There will be music throughout the afternoon, with visits by Peeps characters and a kid’s “Dance Like a Peep” contest at 12:30 p.m. Some of National Harbor’s restaurants will also participate with Peeps drinks and desserts.

Be sure to take advantage of this Capital Wheel deal on Peeps Day: Adult tickets are $15, plus tax ($13.50, plus tax for seniors). Children 12 and under will be able to ride the giant Ferris wheel for free Saturday when accompanied by an adult with a paid ticket ($11.25 value).

The weather Saturday is expected to be partly sunny with a high of 67 degrees.

PHOTO of Peeps from company