Officials with the Noble Street Festival have issued a public clarification regarding a man in a hot dog costume who has been seen wandering the event since it opened on Friday.

The man, whose identity has not been released, is not an official food vendor.

According to festival organizer Brenda C. Matthews, her office received numerous complaints from festival-goers who were attempting to purchase hot dogs from the man, only to be politely rebuffed.

"He's very courteous," Mrs. Matthews said, "but he is not selling food. We had to track him down to understand the situation."

When approached by festival staff, the man explained that he was not employed by any of the food vendors on site. He reportedly stated that he was attending the festival as a private citizen and simply "likes the suit," which he described as "comfortable" and providing "a welcome sense of anonymity."

As the man is not violating any festival rules or local ordinances, organizers have confirmed that they have no grounds to ask him to leave or to change his attire.

"He's just a citizen enjoying the festival in his own way," Mrs. Matthews said in a statement. "We would kindly ask the public to please purchase their hot dogs from one of our 14 licensed food vendors, and to allow this gentleman to enjoy the arts and crafts in peace."

The man was last seen browsing a selection of handmade pottery near the main stage.