Posted on June 18, 2018
Hamburg, NY: June 18, 2018
Burgers galore and enticing local food truck favorites will bring a fragrant sizzle to BurgerFest 2018 in the Village of Hamburg on Saturday, July 21. About 30 eateries are expected to tempt the palate with their specialties at the Taste of Hamburg in the Wegmans Food Court.
Purists will find their hamburgers and cheeseburgers (it is BURGERFest, after all) at a number of locations – Danny’s South Restaurant, Hamburg GOP, Holland Kiwanis, Lomo Lomo, Harris Catering, Grand View Drive In – but they will also find eateries that take beef to higher level. Big Belly BBQ, for instance is offering a beef brisket and pork combo, a sirloin Big Burger and a brisket stew along with other delicasies. Cheesy Chick will offer a different take on the old standard with her grilled cheeseburger and Cruisin’ Crepes will offer a beef on “weck” crepe, along with a Mediterranean one, and several dessert varieties.
Main Street Ice Cream and Coldstone Creamery will bring their best icy confections, but The Frozen Hog has cookie kebabs and ice cream burger sliders on the menu. Babcia’s Pierogi has, along with savory pierogis, an apple pierogi ala mode and Tropical Ice has frozen bananas. Juan Chavez Catering and Lloyd’s Taco Truck will be among those selling tacos, burritos and nachos. For a lighter appetite, Juan Chavez will also offer salad and for those looking for treats, Lloyd’s will also sell Aztec brownies. Additional food vendors include: The Cheesecake Guy, Jim’s Fries, Sweet Melody’s, Antones at the Fair, Yakisoba’s, Kona Ice, Pat Marsillo Concessions (Kettle Corn), Citrus Smashers, Charlie’s Sugar Waffles, 716 Sweets and Goodway Gourmet Bakery.
BurgerFest will hold its one-day run from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Main and Buffalo Streets (Rte. 62) between Center and Union streets and in the Municipal Parking Lot, with diverse entertainment for people of all ages. This year’s festival will feature live music beginning at noon on the Hamburg Sun Main Stage adjacent to the Entertainment Tent, along with additional activities on Main and Buffalo streets.
The Rotary Club of Hamburg’s Car Show will include trivia shows from noon to 4 p.m. with emcee Dennis George, the Quizmaster. Also beginning at noon, Mike Margerum and the Nickel City Road Show will create family fun with children’s games and contests, followed by Magic on Main Street from 5 to 7 p.m., showcasing the talents of local youth. Inflatable rides and arts and crafts will be found at the Northwest Kids Space and the BurgerFest Fine Arts and Crafts show includes vendors, merchants and not-for-profit organizations on the streets until 7 p.m.
The musical lineup for BurgerFest 2018 will be: Terry Buchwald, noon to 2:30 p.m.; The Strangers, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and headliners, Hit N Run, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Beer and refreshments will be available at the Entertainment Tent adjacent to the Hamburg Sun Main Stage. Sponsors include the Hamburg Sun, Wegmans, Northwest, KeyBank, Waste Management, M&T Bank and the Erie County Fair.
BurgerFest celebrates the birth of the hamburger in Hamburg in 1885 and is hosted by the Rotary Club of Hamburg, the Hamburg Rotary Sunrise Club, the Kiwanis Club and the Town of Hamburg Lions Club. Hamburg held its first Burgerfest in 1985 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the hamburger after organizers discovered a history book detailing the burger’s origins. Frank and Charles Menches, vendors who traveled the world’s fair circuit, and who have been credited with also creating Cracker Jacks and ice cream cones, concocted the all-American burger. Descendants of the Menches brothers from Ohio, who remain in the food industry three generations later, have traveled to Hamburg to participate in several Burgerfest celebrations over the years, bringing along the secret recipe.
Legend has it that the Menches brothers ran out of their usual pork sausage that hot, fateful day at the fair and turned to local butchers to replenish their supplies. When no pork was available, a butcher suggested ground beef. The Menches brothers purchased the beef, but added secret ingredients, including coffee grounds to create a unique flavor. The hamburger was born!
More info: Eileen Hotho (983-9861) publicity chair or Sid Jack (648-3350), Rotary KeyBank Car Show chair
