Join the biggest outdoor barbeque party this county has ever seen! For the 9th year in a row, Hamburg hosts the East coast’s premiere hamburger event, the Taste of Hamburg-er Festival, on Saturday, Sept. 1, from 10am-6pm. Last year the festival drew more than 20,000 people to this one-day event and, historically, it's grown by 40 percent each year. But this year, the festival is attracting even more attention.
For the first time, the Hamburg-er festival will host the National Burger Eating Competition, sponsored by Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. Yes, we said National. Professional burger eaters will be scouted from across the states to earn the title of National Burger Eating Champion to be crowned right in Hamburg, Pa. That’s a first for Berks County!
Deena Kershner, Executive Director of the Our Town Foundation, the organization that hosts the yearly event, says, “We have held both an amateur and a professional eating competition every year; however, this year we teamed up with the All Pro Eaters, one of only two recognized sanctioning competitive eating organizations in the world. By teaming up with Red Robin and the All Pro Eaters, we will have much larger prize payouts which will attract additional eaters from the entire United States.“
But the professional eaters aren’t the only ones who will stuff their bellies with burgers. Festival attendees can choose their grub from more than 25 different stands offering a wide variety of grilled-up burger concoctions with house-made specialty sauces, a diversity of cheeses, and toppings including anything from pineapple to sauerkraut, housed by a bun, a pretzel or even a donut. You won’t find a better burger selection anywhere.
On top of abounding burger choices, enjoy entertainment, contests and activities covering six town blocks in the historic downtown. There is non-stop musical entertainment on each of the three stages hosting classic rock, country, blues and bluegrass. Sneak a peek or participate in various contests that happen throughout the day including a best burger competition between participating vendors, a chili cook-off, a mooing contest, and a People’s Choice Award for the best burger where everyone has a vote!
Kids will enjoy a multitude of carnival games, a moon bounce, face painting, a wooden cow decorating table and strolling characters. Local artisans and crafters will have their unique creations for sale, and there will even be animal rescue groups bringing their animals on-site. New to this year’s festival, there will be a mingling magician, a Dine and Dash two mile race, and a Best Themed Stand award for burger vendors.
Oh, and did we mention free admission? It just doesn’t get any better. So grab your friends, grab the kids, and bring your buns to Hamburg…you’ll relish the experience.
For more info visit tasteofhamburger.com or call 610.562.3106.
