The Fort Morgan Mardi Gras parade will feature a larger-than-life addition this year. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will be joining in the revelry.

“Angus” Ann Kerr and her co-pilot, “Jumbo Dog” Jimmy, arrived on the Alabama Gulf Coast this week after participating in Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. The Wienermobile will roll in the Saraland Mardi Gras parade Saturday, Feb. 10, and then cruise with the Fort Morgan Krewe Sunday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m.

Kerr has spent the past eight months traveling the country in the larger-than-life wiener. It’s a fun first job to take after graduating from the University of Wisconsin Madison in May 2023. After eight months of travel, she has been to 21 states and Puerto Rico.

“Some of my highlights are my time in Puerto Rico. We spent six weeks down there this summer and ran a campaign while we were down there,” Kerr said. “It was the most amazing time. It was so beautiful; people were so kind, and it was a surreal experience driving the Wienermobile on an island I had never even been to before.”

If you are wondering how the 27-foot-long Wienermobile got to Puerto Rico, you aren’t alone. Kerr said they drove the iconic vehicle from Wisconsin to Jacksonville, Florida, where it was loaded onto a cargo ship. It took five days to arrive, and Kerr and her co-pilot picked it up.

For the past six months, Kerr has been on the West Coast of the United States from the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival to Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas strip. She said the mix of visiting small towns and large cities keeps the job interesting.

Since she grew up in Wisconsin, Kerr wasn’t familiar with Mardi Gras but did her research before they headed to New Orleans. Thankfully, the documentary she watched was all about Mardi Gras’s start in Mobile, so she has her facts straight.

“We were in New Orleans last week, so I got my first taste of Mardi Gras, and it has been so amazing,” Kerr said. “We were in a few parades there and seeing the excitement and all the throws coming from the big floats. It was so cool to be a part of that, and I am excited to be a part of it down here.”

How did the Wienermobile get involved in the Fort Morgan Parade? It was all thanks to Kerr.

One day a month, the drivers get full control of planning the day. The rest of the month is scheduled full of events by a manager at the program’s headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. When Kerr knew they would be on the Alabama Gulf Coast, she did a little research.

“I saw the Fort Morgan Mardi Gras Parade online,” she said. “I looked at the photos from the last few years, and it looked like so much fun. I sent a quick email, and the organizer said we are all good to go. We are so excited to be a part of that this year.”

Kerr said there is a sunroof that opens to allow one of the hot doggers to pop up, wave and throw some “wienermobilia.”

If you are looking for a coveted wiener whistle, they won’t be thrown at the parade. Don’t worry, you can still get one. Kerr and “Jumbo Dog” Jimmy will be handing them out. If you see the giant hot dog parked, check it out, say hello, and get a whistle.

“The Mardi Gras Parades have definitely been ones to remember,” Kerr said. “We have done a lot of parades with the Wienermobile, but I have got to say, these Mardi Gras parades everyone is showing up and showing out. It has been really fun.”

After they finish in Alabama, Kerr said they will head back to the New Orleans area for more parades next week before heading to Tuscaloosa and Birmingham to recruit the next generation of drivers. If you have a bachelor's degree, a stock of hot dog puns and a desire to travel the country, this may be the job for you.